Journey Complete!
Finisher #491 to complete the list
1089
Albums Rated
3.39
Average Rating
100%
Complete
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Favorite Album
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Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
90
5-Star Albums
39
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ctrl
SZA
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
John Prine
John Prine
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Horses
Patti Smith
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Tommy
The Who
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
|
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
Either Or
Elliott Smith
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Live At Leeds
The Who
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
It's Too Late to Stop Now
Van Morrison
|
1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
|
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
|
Permission to Land
The Darkness
|
1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
|
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
|
1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
|
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.8 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.33 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.43 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 4.5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.67 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.14 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 5 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4.2 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.33 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.33 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.33 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 1.67 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Orbital | 2 | 1.5 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 2.2 |
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Who | 3, 1, 4, 5, 5 |
| Grateful Dead | 5, 2 |
| Van Morrison | 4, 4, 1 |
| Bob Dylan | 1, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 5 |
| Deep Purple | 1, 3, 4 |
5-Star Albums (90)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
The album really took a turn for the worse once it started. The production is good, however, that’s mainly where my praise stops. The lyrics are nonsensical and the beats and vocals are annoyingly repetitive. I can’t believe they made an hour of this. If I just had one song, I could see it being a fun song to dance to and in that sense it’s fine, just not for me. 2/5
19 likes
Cornershop
2/5
Nah. Liked the first two, then it just fell off for me and didn’t find anything substantial the rest of the album. 2/5
10 likes
Slade
1/5
There isn’t enough in this review about how bad these guys are. I was only a couple songs in when I realized I was getting nothing creatively. The production is poor and completely uninteresting. The instrumentation is alright, but derivative and the writing is so fucking atrocious. I don’t feel I need to explain. “The whole world’s goin’ crazee. Crazee crazee crazee crazee crazee.” The fuck? Not to mention they use the same hokey trop of spelling “crazy” as “crazee” twice on this project like they were really trying to get something going. Every song blends together and sounds like a boring version of every other glam rock artist out there at the time. “The Sweet”, “Rod Stewart”, “Mott the Hoople”, etc. Also the two covers on this record are insulting. I have no respect for this thing. Sorry. 1/5
9 likes
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Forty-two minutes of Elizabeth Fraser moaning into the mic while the guys whist some chords together. A defining 80s sound and pretty original, but not very exciting and lacked range. Enjoyed very few parts. 3/5
6 likes
1-Star Albums (39)
All Ratings
Metallica
4/5
One of my favorite metal albums and my favorite Metallica albums. A little repetitive towards the end, but enough songs stood out to make up for it. 4/5
Joy Division
2/5
I get the appeal and like the playing, but the 80s disjointed singing ruined it for me. 2/5
Nirvana
4/5
Loved this album since the first time I heard it. Needed a little more grunge. 4/5
Elvis Presley
2/5
Never been a fan of Elvis. Not impressed. Songs were just A-OK. 2/5
Living Colour
3/5
I completely understand and am totally alright with why Cult of Personality is the only song I’ve heard off this album. Good, not great. 3/5
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Love jazz samba. Wasn’t blown away by anything, but definitely enjoyed it. 3/5
The Smiths
2/5
Got this album the day after the queen died. Cool. Hated the album though. 2/5
Fred Neil
3/5
Enjoyable. Nothing here blew me away, but I’ll probably listen to it again. 3/5
Cornershop
2/5
Nah. Liked the first two, then it just fell off for me and didn’t find anything substantial the rest of the album. 2/5
Television
4/5
Liked it. Early punk without taking much from other artists of the time, but forming their own sound. 4/5
Laura Nyro
4/5
Great instrumentation and voice. Writing and arrangements were also phenomenal and original. It’s difficult to believe she didn’t become more popular. 4/5
Mekons
2/5
Not that I don't think this album isn't good by a technical standpoint or in the eyes of other people, but this album has everything that I am just not interested in. The half-present instruments and clunky rhythm makes it impossible for me to get into the music. Relieved when the last song ended honestly. Could have been worse, though so. 2/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
I like his simple country-folk music style and enjoyed the album, but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. A very average album, in my opinion. 3/5
John Lennon
4/5
A great album. Inventive and original. I don’t like John Lennon personally, but I recognize that this is a great album. 4/5
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Cool it with the reverb effect and I think you’d have a pretty solid album. 4/5
Eagles
5/5
These are iconic songs with great production, themes, writing, and execution. Near entirely perfect album. 5/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Original for its time, and very thought provoking. Doesn’t hold up to todays standards and not an album one can just throw on. 3/5
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Maybe some people like this album, but I genuinely did not enjoy a single track. Lackluster vocals and subpar instrumentation. 2/5
Meat Loaf
4/5
Possibly the best ballad album of all time. Iconic and timelessly fun songs. Some parts were a little overdone, but for the most part, a very solid album. 4/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
A very impressive garage band, but surprising they got a record deal and I’m even more surprised this album is on the list. Fun to listen to if you’re looking for some blues-rock to play in the background, but thousands of albums would need to disappear before it would come close to greatest albums territory. 2/5
The Hives
1/5
I like the Hives and all of these songs. They were fun and I enjoyed listening, but they wasn’t anything inspiring about it. A very alright collection, and since it’s a collection and not an album, it doesn’t qualify at all for me. 1/5
Pulp
4/5
I like the hardcore punk-rock ballads. The song writing, instrumentation, and structure were fantastic. I enjoyed these songs, but they weren’t all that memorable or catchy in the long run. 4/5
The White Stripes
4/5
The White Stripes do a good job of building on their rock inspiration and previous work without just copying. They found ways to still create original sounds in a dying genre. Very enjoyable and fun to listen to. 4/5
Beatles
5/5
One of the most well produced, best written, enjoyable albums ever. 5/5
Throwing Muses
2/5
Not a fan of the goat voice.Everything was very average for an 80s rock band. 2/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Beautiful album. Can't think of a thing wrong with it. 5/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
One of the most forgettable albums I've ever heard in my life. I honestly believe that this is as creative and exciting this band can get, which just isn't that great. It wasn't painful to listen to, I just couldn't remember a single track off of it to save my life. 2/5
Billie Holiday
4/5
“You like jazz?”
Yes :)
4/5
Elvis Costello
3/5
That’s some pretty good pop music. Although every song sounds very similar. 3/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Alright, nothing great, nothing bad. 3/5
Arcade Fire
2/5
Found the whole album to be pretty bland and repetitive. It makes good background music. All in all, pretty forgettable. 2/5
PJ Harvey
2/5
Sort of unbearably pretentious if that makes any sense? Can definitely see that it would have an audience, but that audience is not me. 2/5
Funkadelic
4/5
Groovy stuff, funky rhythms, and surprisingly inventive melodies. Feel like it earned it's. 4/5
Elastica
4/5
Not that it was a reinvention of British post punk, but I thought it was pretty good for the genre. Thoroughly enjoyed it. 4/5
The xx
3/5
Can’t quite decide if I’m into this or not. I think so. 3/5
Nirvana
5/5
I feel like this is exactly what they were going for. They didn’t miss on one track. Perfect. 5/5
The Crusaders
3/5
Enjoyed the album. Wasn’t the best jazz record I’ve heard, but there wasn’t anything wrong with it really. Pretty in the middle. 3/5
Nina Simone
4/5
Love Nina. Love the album. Did not miss. Experimental. Moving in a new direction both lyrically and musically. 4/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
I think Sonic Youth does a good job of establishing their sound on this album. They’re really feeling themselves on this one. Not their biggest fan personally, and the later songs sort of fell off in my opinion, but definitely see what they were going for. 3/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Very ambitious for the young pedophile. 4/5
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Never new what was going to come next. A beautiful, original album. 4/5
Burning Spear
4/5
I can’t understand why Marley is the only reggae I’ve heard when there are bands like this out. 4/5
Massive Attack
4/5
A funky and original album that was very enjoyable to listen to. 4/5
John Grant
3/5
I thought he made a very niche genre of music sound more accessible to a wider audience without straying too far from who he is. The album didn't excite more or anything, I just thought it was neat and respect it. 3/5
Norah Jones
3/5
Nothing impressive here, just a nice little jazzy album that I had fun listening to. 3/5
Paul Simon
4/5
This album makes it clear that Paul Simon was still able to create original and interesting music that was also enjoyable to listen to. 4/5
The Who
3/5
I don't think this is The Who's best work, but it certainly isn't their worst. I think it was a very ambitious idea that didn't pan out 100% like they'd hoped. Some of the songs on their own are great, but the majority could only be listened to when listening to the album as a whole. Commercial jingles can get on your nerves at a point. 3/5
Suede
3/5
This album is full of unoriginal 80s pop music, but it was made in the 90s. Music wasn’t necessarily bad, just not my type and nothing new. 3/5
Justice
4/5
I am not interested in mainly instrumental music, but this was good. 4/5
Frank Black
4/5
He does a good job of combining different genres to make an overall enjoyable and fun album that is rewarding to listen to. 4/5
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Blended country and psychedelic 60s sounds together pretty well. Not a whole lot of variety, but nothing was outright bad
Tricky
2/5
It’s all over the place and does not focus itself into anything entertaining or inspiring. Had potentially, but execution ended up being boring. 2/5
Miles Davis
4/5
This isn’t my favorite Miles album and I don’t think it’s his best work, but I respect it for being very experimental. He tried new things on this album instead of playing it safe like he had on the previous couple albums and it payed off with Bitches Brew and On the Corner. Not my favorite, but still incredible. 4/5
Pavement
2/5
Sounds like a bunch of people who knew nothing about music were forced to make an album together. Not completely hot garbage, but pretty damn close. 2/5
Steve Winwood
3/5
The opening track is the strongest point of the album, but that isn't to say the rest of the album is bad. Just average and nothing new. Enjoyed it as an introduction to Steve Winwood. Interested to listen to his other work, but definitely not excited. 3/5
Don McLean
4/5
Inventive chord progressions and Mr. McLean does a wonderful job of putting less is more into song. Starting the album with American Pie was a mistake, in my opinion, because there was nowhere to go but down from there. Not to say the rest of the songs were bad, just that they leave you wanting more of what you know Don could make. 4/5
Motörhead
1/5
I don't like live albums and I don't like bad albums so this album checked no boxes for me. 1/5
Al Green
4/5
One of the best soul albums, if not the best of all time. Everything blends together so well. It’s incredible. 4/5
Primal Scream
3/5
They all sort of fade together after a while and become indistinguishable. More like one long song than 11 individual and unique ones. I enjoyed it for the most part. A little innovative, but not mind blowing. 3/5
Sparks
4/5
Sorta avant-garde jazz rock. Lots of the songs were fun to listen to and stood out from one another without being conventionally structured. Not an album you’d put on often, but definitely one should give a listen. 4/5
Dennis Wilson
4/5
This album reminds me of an old sweater that’s falling apart. Barely held together by a couple loose strings. None of the musicians sound like they’re really into it which is a shame considering the lyrics, chord progressions, and structuring all sound like they’d be great if they were played tighter. Poor execution, but great theory. Makes me sad to think that they were so close to such an incredible album. 4/5
Gillian Welch
3/5
Hauntingly beautiful bluesgrass. I wish I could give it four stars, but there just really isn't enough there to justify me doing so. Lovely sounding, but lacks anything new or out there. 3/5
Q-Tip
3/5
An introspective and interesting, not his best work, but I enjoyed it. 3/5
Jane Weaver
2/5
Boring synth, nothing new, not interested. 2/5
Syd Barrett
4/5
This album is a great example of his superior creativity to the rest of his former band mates. He has incredibly original chord changes and song
structures that make it impossible to guess what is coming next, without ever letting you down. Very sad that we couldn't see him develop more as an artist. I think he was only scratching the surface of what he had to offer. 4/5
Blondie
4/5
One of the best mixes of post punk and self expression there is. Blondie delivers. 4/5
Soul II Soul
2/5
Was just waiting for the album to end. Couldn’t really enjoy or get into a single track. The whole thing felt offbeat and disjointed. The lyrics were subpar and even the beats became repetitive by the halfway point. Probably good for it’s time in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but does not hold up. 2/5
Morrissey
3/5
Enjoyed the album, but was pretty much just waiting for something to happen. All the songs blended together after a while. Good, but nothing special. 3/5
B.B. King
4/5
Not a fan of live albums, but this is so good and energetic, also I love B.B. so much that I can’t give it a bad score. One of the best live albums I’ve ever heard. 4/5
1/5
Not really that good for live Dylan. Poor quality for any live album, which I’m already not a fan of. Love Dylan and all the studio versions of these songs, but personally found this album a chore to get through as it took me all day. 1/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Springsteen is rough while also being vulnerable. An album that undeniably feels alive. Every aspect of every song works. 4/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
It sounds like they didn’t knew who their audience was or who they were making the album for. Musically, most of the songs are pretty strong, but they fall short lyrically; at least for me. I appreciate the sentiment in the words, although the Beach Boys were not equipped to write deep songs. Also, if you’re short on time for your album, it’s better to not write anymore songs than to include a song like Student Demonstration Time. Who was that for? 3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I thoroughly enjoyed this album and believe it has a lot of range, especially when comparing the first and second halves. Always surprised by his ability to mix folk and rock so seamlessly. 4/5
Kraftwerk
1/5
Well, this stunk. Completely forgettable at best and downright annoying at worst. Tough to get through. The 22 minute opening track fails to justify it’s length while the remaining songs are just electronic garbage. 1/5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Very melancholic, perhaps too melancholy. Almost plagiaristic-ally Bob Dylan. They even mention him by name. Not to say I didn’t like the album, I enjoyed every song excluding the final track. 3/5
Le Tigre
4/5
I can certainly see how this album is not for everyone, but I can’t express enough how much I respect them for being unapologetically themselves. Such a strong and specific vibe that I’ve not heard replicated before or since. Shame this isn’t more well known. 4/5
Deep Purple
1/5
I am so tired of getting live albums. The artist is able to choose from their best songs so obviously all the songs will be classics. On the other hand, the quality is always worse than the original and rarely feels more energetic. This live album is no different. There is absolutely no reason this album should be even considered for this list. The fact that it was included shakes my faith in this entire concept and has me questioning if I should even continue using this generator. Seriously, what classic rock-biased mf made this list? Love Deep Purple though, just bad score on the principal. 1/5
Ghostface Killah
4/5
One of the best rap albums I've ever heard. Mr. Killah is a powerhouse and absolutely relentless. Every track was enjoyable. He did not miss. 4/5
Richard Hawley
3/5
Loved this album, enjoyed it very much. Nothing here incredibly original, but it’s nice. 3/5
Screaming Trees
3/5
Thoroughly enjoyable. It’s pretty original, but I can see why I’ve never heard of them. 3/5
Machito
3/5
Very introspective and calm. Enjoyed it throughly. I don’t know what introspective means. 3/5
Miriam Makeba
4/5
You can’t tell me this didn’t bop. Didn’t understand most of what ahe said. Loved it. 4/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Very surprised I haven’t heard this before. Incredible and aggressive. 4/5
Moby
3/5
This is some of the best background music I’ve ever heard. Montage music. I’ll master the art of cooking to this album. I ain’t gonna listen to it just for kicks though. 3/5
Ryan Adams
3/5
Had some range to it. Not too out there. Didn’t excite me or anything, but I enjoyed listening. 3/5
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Simply put, it is elegant, it is graceful, it is enjoyable for the most part. Didn’t like The Night I Heard Caruso, but everything else was great. 4/5
Jurassic 5
4/5
The most versatile rap album i’ve ever heard. Most listeners should be able to find at least one song they can enjoy. I liked them all. 4/5
Hawkwind
1/5
I could go on and on about all the reasons I dislike this album, but I’ve spent too long listening to it already and I just don’t want to think about it anymore. Hate live albums. 1/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of, if not the best, concept albums of all time. Every song on this album serves a purpose and the holds the album together cohesively. They were able to make both hard and songs without it seeming forced. All the sound effects give it the right amount of paranoia and anger the protagonist feels. I'm not sure if what I'm saying makes sense, but I get it. I get this album. Loved it. 5/5
3/5
I was very surprised when I not only didn’t hate this album, but actually enjoyed most of it. I think Limp Bizkit gets a bad rap for some reason. How they present themselves? Wasn’t the best metal I’ve ever heard, but it isn’t the worst. Just respectable music for the most part, though some of the lyrics can be a tad corny at times. 3/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This is one of the best debut albums there are. They did a tremendous job of immediately setting themselves apart from the rest of the rock scene at the time. Even though it's their first album together, all band members played in perfect harmony with one another; allowing each other to shine in their respective areas of musical expertise. While they are known for being a heavier band, they deliver beautiful soft songs that let you know they have range and talent. I love this album and it always leaves me wanting more. 5/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Not my type of music whatsoever. Understand that it had it’s following and time and place and all that, but it’s really no good in my opinion. 2/5
Dr. John
3/5
Completely understand why some listeners might not enjoy this. I sorta get it, enjoyed some, but not others. 3/5
Gene Clark
3/5
Something to put on while focusing on something else. Nothing exciting, but nothing bad, really. Could listen to it again, although I probably won’t. 3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Entertaining, not in the way that I’d listen to it very often, but that I enjoyed it listening the first time through. Definitely memorable, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not so much. They made the album they wanted to make and it came out probably exactly the way they liked. Wasn’t completely for me, but I liked some of it. 3/5
Ute Lemper
3/5
Not saying you can't have a good jazz album solely made up of covers of songs, but it certainly would be difficult. A good cover respects the original while also adding the covering artists signature flair to the song. These covers don't sound like their originals so she has that going for her. Where she falls short is that the flair she adds isn't really enough. It wasn't enough to interest me very much. Like a boring James Bond intro song. Technically good and it's not unbearable, but I'm going to choose not to bear it in the future. 3/5
Magazine
3/5
This is a fun album to listen to, but not as memorable as similar albums of the time. The songs blend together after getting only a little bit into the album. They failed to create something as inspiring as their contemporaries, like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Damned, created time and time again. I'd listen to them again, but not for inspiration. 3/5
The Yardbirds
3/5
This may be the best these guys have to offer as a group. Separately, they performed better and created more inspiring work, but this album lacks originality and feels as though members are holding each other back. An enjoyable album. Nothing really bad to say, but nothing really good either. 3/5
k.d. lang
3/5
Her talent shines brighter when she does jazzier songs than the honky tonk country that had been dead for decades at that point. It was entertaining and I’ll listen to some of the songs again, but there was not much original here. This seemed like and album for the sake of making an album. Easy listening, but that’s all. 3/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Never was a fan of this 80s melodramatic sound. I can sort of get behind the instrumentation, but the singing is so needlessly dramatic that I can't take it seriously. It might just be the singer's voice, but this band never tickled my fancy. I completely understand where others may see the beauty in this album though. 3/5
Van Halen
5/5
So many hits on one album, contender for best debut album of all time. Every member of this band is exercising top talent. Can’t think of a thing wrong with it. It’s just so good. 5/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
I’m sure that this album was very impactful in the genre and inspirational for its time, however, I can’t get into for one reason or another. Some songs feature the sample too heavily, some songs Missy’s rap game is just not that great, and some were just straight up annoying. Whatever it was, I found myself consistently checking how many songs were left. I like her voice and thought the entire album was produced very well, but not enough to save it. 3/5
Eagles
4/5
I think the opening track summarizes the entire album with Take it Easy. Such a carefree ideology may make one think that the songs lack a seriousness or respect for the art. An understandable concern, but Eagles do an incredible job of creating one of the most easy listening albums of all time while also having the songs be listenable. Even the harder rocking songs had a breezy, relaxed aspect to them that was crafted to perfection. There were some pitfalls, though, as some later tracks were just sort of forgettable if it had not been for the couple classic songs that hold this album together. A great free feeling to this album, but not all songs are worth listening to more than a few times. 4/5
Boards of Canada
2/5
Completely unbearable. Found it incredibly difficult to finish. I don’t like purely instrumental music and this album is a wonderful example why. 2/5
The Jam
4/5
The Jam is a very underrated punk band for numerous arbitrary reasons. They’re a great band, but ultimately, not what the world was looking for at the time. Not quite as hard rocking as their contemporaries, but not soft enough to escape the punk genre. They should be much more widely known, but alas, that’s entertainment. 4/5
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Got pretty boring, the songs aren’t good enough to justify the runtime. Some songs were weird, but they still managed to blend together considering the number of songs there are. Nothing really bad to say here, just not impressed. 3/5
Travis
4/5
This album calms my anxieties faster than I thought possible. I don't know about anything technically incredible this album does, but the vibe is just incredible and that has to be worth something. Enjoyed the whole thing very much, except that the last track was split in two. 4/5
Love
4/5
Every track on this album surprised me with it's originality. Some songs were incredibly ahead of their time while some sounded like they could have been written centuries ago and some were perfect for the time they were written. They all worked marvelously and I enjoyed every single one of them. I understand, however, why the album and artist are not as well known. There weren't any songs on the album that really got me excited. They were fun to listen to, but I don't reckon I'll be very eager to go back for a second listen, although I probably will eventually. 4/5
Louis Prima
4/5
Louis Prima has such an electric charm to him that makes it impossible for me not to get into his music. The songs were original and didn’t blend together. Band played great other a well. Fun album, but nothing too deep. 4/5
Foo Fighters
4/5
Love it or hate it, this is an incredibly influential album both for it’s time and still today. Any song on this album can be thrown on at any time which makes it very versatile. The album itself isn’t making a very big statement as it’s the definition of garage band dad rock, but I found the whole thing entertaining and enjoyable. I liked it. 4/5
Rush
3/5
Fairly good classic rock with some jazzy aspects to it. Every member plays incredibly well on the album, but I'm still left feeling unexcited. I personally don't think Rush plays with much feeling, even if they are technically very talented. I wasn't quite checking my watch or anything, but I would probably change the station. Very meh. 3/5
Talking Heads
3/5
Never really enjoyed the Talking Heads. Not quite my cup of tea, but I get the hype. None of these songs were bad necessarily, but I couldn’t get into them. Was just alright. 3/5
Billy Joel
5/5
Every song is an absolute banger. Hit after hit. Man did not miss. Was genuinely surprised at how good this album was for both the songs I’d heard of and the one’s I hadn’t. Everything about the album is fantastic; the songwriting, instrumentation, singing, production, etc. It has a flowing feeling throughout the entire album that stays interesting. Also, just a fun, enjoyable album to listen to. Maybe another day I would have given it a 4, but it’s Christmas, so I’m feeling generous. 5/5
Various Artists
3/5
Generally only listen to this genre one twelfth of the year. The songs are solid and the production has a classic sound that feels timeless and nostalgic. I'm not sure if using multiple artists is cheating, but it sorta feels like cheating. There are a lot of hits on this album, even if people only listen to them in December. They all start to sound the same halfway through and then it's a bit of a chore to get through. 3/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Every song on this album is great. The production, songwriting, structure, instrumentation were all fantastic. I’m always impressed with McCartneys continuous ability to create music that is relevant to the time it’s made. The A side of the album does seem to overshadow the second half a little, but the last two songs were able pull me back in. 4/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Some of Johnny’s best work in years. All of the American Recording albums Cash did with Rick Rubin were fantastic and re-introduced the world to what Johnny Cash could do. Even with his voice shot of years on the road, he’s still able to deliver some of his most emotional vocal performances. He shouldn’t have tried Roberta Flack, though. 4/5
David Bowie
3/5
The wikipedia snippet about this album got me very excited to listen to it, as well as the fact that it's David Bowie, whom I've always been a fan of. I was disappointed however in how often I found myself forgetting I was listening to the album and my mind would go elsewhere. The music did little to pull me back in. They weren't inspiring, but they weren't bad. For Bowie, it wasn't that great, but for just another album on the list it was alright. Nothing special, but it certainly wasn't bad. Some songs were alright, but overall just sorta disappointingly boring. 3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
A harder rock album than Neil would usually create. He does a good job and the album has a lot of range. Some tracks are fun to listen to and some fall short. I’ve never been a fan of live music, so that doesn’t help my opinion of the album. I’d like to give it a higher score, but I honestly don’t think it earned it. It’s sort of a forgettable album. 3/5
Dire Straits
4/5
I was thoroughly surprised and satisfied that I enjoyed the album as much as I did. The second half of the album did slow way down and get pretty boring, though. Wasn’t a fan of the pan flute either, I don’t feel as though it fit into the rest of the song comfortably. Good music though some wasn’t for me. 4/5
Pixies
4/5
Album has a lot of range from pop to experimental. They all worked well not only on their own, but also within the album. A fun and enjoyable album. 4/5
Radiohead
4/5
I respect artists who try experimental work, even if they don’t always pan out. How To Disappear Completely is without a doubt in my mind the best song on the album. This may sound pretentious, but the song knows what it is. It is a song with a purpose while I feel others on the album are unfinished jam sessions. The general idea and concept, I believe, they have down, but the final product was a little too bare. Overall, though, it is a great album and I enjoyed listening, but it could have been better. 4/5
Aretha Franklin
4/5
She has an electrifying element to her sound that makes me enjoy all the songs. Just wish there was a little more variety throughout, but overall fantastic. 4/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Pretty original and enjoyable l, though the singer’s shaky voice did get on my nerves at points, but that’s just preference. 4/5
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Maybe if I was coked up, dancing to this album in a Amsterdam nightclub on New Years Eve 1999, I would’ve enjoyed it more, but I am stone cold soberly not enjoying myself. Found it annoying and a chore to get through. 2/5
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
I'm not sure if they're aware of how creepy they sound. The instrumentation is good. Pretty sure I won't be listening to it again, though. It's like it was almost good, but there's something off about the entire album. Something disjointed and unnerving (which they may be going for) that I don't enjoy. Maybe I just don't get it. Not terrible, but not for me. 3/5
The Band
4/5
A thoroughly enjoyable album to listen to. I get a little tired of the singers voice after listening to a couple of The Band's songs generally, but there's nothing else really wrong with the album. Not very exciting, but it's nice and fun. I'll probably listen to it again. 4/5
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Energetic, electrifying, fun, upbeat. I enjoyed this. This might just be the best electronica album on this list. I would know, I've listened to the whole thing. 4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This album was, in my opinion, the perfect form of idea into execution. I don’t really think Me. Costello would change a thing about the album, so as far as production goes, it’s perfect in that sense. That doesn’t mean that I would change anything, though. There were too many cheesy love lyrics and Elvis’ singing was very corny at times. A perfect cheesy love album, but that’s not what I’m into.
3/5
Cheap Trick
1/5
What an unbearable waste of time. Live albums, just in their nature of being live, take so much away from the music whether it’s sound quality, energy, talent, whatever. I already am not the biggest fan of Cheap Trick, though I do like some of their songs. There’s no diversity to these tracks, each one is just like the last. I don’t want to go on too long about this album, though I could, because I’d rather just forget the whole thing (except I Want You to Want Me, that one hit for some reason). 1/5
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
Possibly a little early to be putting this album on a list like this, but as far as I’m concerned it fully deserves to be up here. Great concept album, a more modern take on traditional R&B ideas. Some places could be improved, such as production, but it’s overall a pretty fun album to listen to (not the interludes though, never like interludes). 3/5
The Stooges
3/5
This was a fairly solid album. Some of the experimental stuff droned on a little long, but it was an inspiration for many bands and has been cited numerous times as one of the most essential albums to begin the punk era. Personally, I enjoyed most of the tracks and will listen to some, not all, again. It was pretty enjoyable, but I don't think it really deserves to score that high. 3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This album is jangly and unsettling. Sometimes in a charming way and sometimes in an annoying way. The lyrics are uninteresting and give me nothing new. It certainly is not Costello's best work, but I've definitely heard worse. The whole thing gives me the vibe of 'yup, this certainly is an album'. Nothing extra, inspiring, or memorable about this whole project. No atrocious, heinous, or unforgivable acts have been committed either, but my feeling is that nothing has really been committed. A perfect example of a. 3/5
Beck
4/5
This album has so much going on and it all works so well. Every little sound effect adds positively to the record. Has a ton of range and is thoroughly enjoyable. Production, lyrics, instrumentation were all perfect and my only critique is that it isn’t that exciting. I believe it to be one of the rare times when an album is completely realized and executed exactly as the artist intended. 4/5
GZA
4/5
A fantastic album. GZA flow and lyrics are incredible. The beats are minimalistic, but at the same time perfect for GZAs style. Never been a fan of skits in albums, especially if they don’t really add to the album. Enjoyable, but perhaps got a little too repetitive. 4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Really think they should have ended with the title track instead of starting with it, though there isn't much else to complain about. Had good range with both fun, fast tracks as well as slower, more emotional ones. Didn't like the live track, never do, but was overall very enjoyable. 4/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Obviously love and lack thereof are popular topics for artists to touch on in their music, but divorce is much less common. Not to say Marvin is the only musician to discuss divorce in their music, but it was never done so well or with such grace. My only complaint is that this album failed to excite me as much as his previous works. I enjoyed it for sure, but he could have put a little more into it. Everything else (writing, singing, instrumentation, structure, production, etc.) were all fantastic. 4/5
Beatles
5/5
The Beatles first truly experimental album in their discography. They'd hinted in their early work they were capable of writing songs that weren't mainstream pop. Their decision to become solely a studio band opened possibilities they probably hadn't ever considered. Every song on this album is good, most are great, and some are undeniable classics. Production, writing, instrumentation, etc. are all beautiful. No complaints. 5/5
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
A breath of fresh air from all the American and British artists that have been crowding the list so far. Like a lot of Bollywood soundtracks of this era, this album has a fun feeling to it that I enjoyed even if the album didn't do anything too technically incredible. You'd never consider this album to be awe inspiring by any stretch of the imagination, but I liked it and it was fun to listen to. 3/5
The Young Rascals
3/5
This album doesn’t provide anything new. It’s very fun and “groovy”, but it has all been done before, sometimes by the same band, sometimes even just earlier in the album. 3/5
Sex Pistols
4/5
Possibly the most influential punk band there has ever been. All the songs sound the same with different lyrics, so as a standalone album it’s not incredible, but I enjoyed it very much anyway. 4/5
k.d. lang
3/5
This album is so goddamn boring. I can’t really find anything wrong with it, but it’s so impossible to get into. Nothing at all to latch onto. 3/5
Metallica
4/5
The main problem people seem to have with this album is the departure from the band’s previous sound and claim they sold out. Metallica’s intention was to reach a wider audience as they noticed their previous album was very niche. In that sense I have no problem with the change in musical direction. The songs are a little more pop driven, but that’s what they were going for, so I can’t fault them. The only fault I have with the album is from the production side. Every element (vocals, bass, drums, guitar) sounds great on their own, but altogether, don’t mesh as well. Everything else was great and I enjoyed the album very much. Not their best work, but by no means should anyone say that this is a bad album. 4/5
Depeche Mode
4/5
A wonderful album, but Depeche Mode never really was my vibe. Definitely respect the album even though I couldn’t get into it. 4/5
The Slits
3/5
Genre bending is pretty neat. The album is more to listen to for bits of inspiration rather than to enjoy, though. 3/5
M.I.A.
3/5
Some of these songs are a little hard to listen to, but delightful once you get into them. This album’s surely not for everyone, but I thought it was pretty fun. Obviously Paper Planes is great, but other songs like Boyz, Mango Pickle Down River, and Jimmy certainly don’t get enough recognition. Manor complaint was that it got very repetitive and had hardly any range. 3/5
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Never trust an album with clowns on the cover. I think they have real talent and it shows through in some spots, but is ultimately covered up by their . . . need to be weird? 3/5
Nick Drake
4/5
Beautiful album. Not much range, but the lyrics alone earn it my respect. 4/5
Steely Dan
4/5
This a fantastic and fun album. Production, instrumentation, and so on were beautiful. Didn’t get as repetitive as I thought it would, but it’s still not incredibly exciting. 4/5
Black Sabbath
5/5
This album goes so unbelievably hard. Badass lyrics, beautiful instrumentation, great singing, production, structure, it’s all fantastic. I have no critiques, therefore I must give it a. 5/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Lame, but in a cool way. 3/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Not generally a Talking Heads guy. Not quite my vibe, but I can enjoy this album. Very original and in a good way, for the most part. Not much to dislike on this one, except for the range is a little low. 4/5
PJ Harvey
3/5
Not a big fan of Harvey, but I liked this album more than her other work. Did seem to be just a little noisy at parts, but it was cool. Not for me though. 3/5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
I love this album so much. Incredible debut album. Obviously, you have: Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man, and Freebird, but the other four are solid as well, just overshadowed by those classics. I Ain’t the One and Poison Whiskey are perfect country rock songs. Things Goin’ On has a cool funky rhythm to it and Mississippi Kid is a fun blues song. Everything on this album is so clearly great. Obviously the instrumentation, vocals, structure, production, are all fucking sick. 5/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
This album could have been a lot better if they had poured more time into enhancing a smaller number of stronger songs rather than giving full attention and resources to 2 hours of music. None of the songs are necessarily bad, but you can pick out multiple on the album that they could have done without as they sound incredibly similar to another or more. Generally, length of an album shouldn’t be a factor when rating, but when the run time is over double what a typical record would entail, one must question if all that extra noise was needed. Lyrics, production, and instrumentation are great. Vocals could get a little stale at times given the lack if range. Still a fantastic album, but it could have been a whole lot more fantastic. 4/5
The The
3/5
It’s not bad, but where it fails is that it isn’t good. 3/5
Motörhead
3/5
Ain’t sayin this album has the best lyrics or range, but the raw force and excitement you get from it is incredible. Makes me feel like I could punch a hole through another hole. Unfortunately, nothing else on the album really stood out, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. 3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Even if I didn’t enjoy this album, which I do, the lyrics themselves get it to at least a four out of five as being an album that acts as a voice of a generation. The range of melancholy, to spunky funk, to soft rock, to downright depressing, and so on while always remaining folk makes it possibly the best folk album of all time. I understand peoples complaints with the seemingly endless verses, but the album accomplishes what it set out to to do. Bobby Boy sings everything he wants to sing and I can’t argue with that. 5/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
I like the traditional folk songs with a bit of rock to spruce them up. Not incredibly original, but enjoyable if you’re in the mood. 3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Experimental is good for expanding a band or artists vision of what they are capable of making and performing. Experimental music does not always breed enjoyable songs, but will usually lead to original and enjoyable music later. This album is definitely experimental for the time, but not compl enjoyable. I enjoyed it, but not all too much. Definitely original, but not quite fun. Also, production wasn’t that great, but lyrics were good. 3/5
The Kinks
3/5
This was a fun album, not very original and sounded a bit too much like the Beatles. Nothing at all wrong with, but I also can’t say I was blown away by anything. It’s just nice. 3/5
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
I was surprised to see this album show up and went in not expecting much. I definitely would say that I got more than I thought and genuinely enjoyed most of the album. Can get a little boring in some parts and some of the lyrics are a little corny, but for the most part it's unexpectedly good. Great production, structure, instrumentation, chord progressions, and vocals. I like what she's done with the genre. Taken traditional country and presented it in a way that doesn't feel stale. 4/5
Prefab Sprout
3/5
I’m getting mid 80s British garage band and I’m not particularly a fan of that. It isn’t exciting or new, but nothing particularly wrong here. I didn’t enjoy it. 3/5
The Pharcyde
4/5
Weird, wacky, wonderful fun. A very enjoyable album. Substance-wise, there isn’t too too much there to latch onto, but enough for me to give it an above average rating. 4/5
The War On Drugs
4/5
This album is semi-fun and semi-original. All in all, not too excited about it, but I’d definitely listen to it again as I did enjoy it. Nothing here that’s quite groundbreaking, as it is furthering a nee genre. Songs can start to get stale with such long runtimes, while some impressed me by keeping me interested with the long runtimes. 4/5
The The
3/5
There's music for the sake of music and then there's music for the sake of, I don’t know, thought? I've never found the The to be very enjoyable. More so a band to think about when you've finished listening. The mixing was poor as well, which doesn't help. I'll say that it was original, funky new bass lines and electronic elements helped keep the album interesting, but not interesting enough for me to ever want to listen to it again. 3/5
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Pretty difficult to decide whether or not I like this. The whole thing is kind of a mess in the way that usually comes together as whole to be something good, but this doesn't quite make the mark and ends up just being muddled. Not a fan of the singer's voice or the production. The lyrics are alright as well as the instrumentation. Not a big fan of anything here, but nothing awful either, just not quite sure what to make of the entire thing. 3/5
Queen
4/5
This album had more range than I thought it would. Operatic ballads, funky guitar riffs, and hunky dory tracks make it very enjoyable to listen to. Instruments and vocals sound great and the lyrics are entertaining as well. There's nothing here to really complain about except that I personally just felt it was a tad lackluster and I can't even really tell where. I just have this feeling that they weren't quite enthusiastic about the songs they were creating, even if they did play their hearts out on them. 4/5
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
That was a nice album to listen to. First half better than the second, even though California Dreaming is the most recognizable. Almost had more range than just folk songs, but they were done well enough for me not to care about the lack of range. Wasn't incredibly original either with a fair number of the songs being covers and not that different from their source material. I liked the album, but apart from maybe two or three songs, there really isn't much here. 3/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Excellent album, thoroughly enjoyed the addition of Neil even if they didn’t. Possibly the best folk rock band ever and this album is a perfect example why. They blend the two genres seamlessly for a wonderful time. Wish there was a tad more range, but other than that, the singing, instrumentation, lyrics, and production were all spectacular. 4/5
Charles Mingus
4/5
An actual masterpiece. I know it’s jazz, but it’s fun to listen to; if you have the time. It does seem more life one long song rather than four separate which is fine, and more common in jazz, but not to this extent. I don’t think there are enough jazz albums on this list and this addition is a great example of why there should be more. I wish I knew enough about jazz to justify the score I’m giving this album, but until then, I will keep listening and enjoying Mingus. 4/5
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I was really enjoying this album up until the point where I was forced to listen to a gospel song. It was one of the better religious songs I've heard, but still, there is no better way to kill my good than to start singing about Jesus. The rest of the album was phenomenal, not his best work as it did get a little repetitive, but still very enjoyable and I liked listening to it. 3/5
Beatles
4/5
Was really enjoying this album’s experimental work until John took it too far with NUMBA NINE. Everything else was very good, definitely could have dropped some other songs, like Wild Honey Pie and had it be a single disc. Overall, very enjoyable, will listen again. 4/5
Merle Haggard
4/5
One of the most influential albums Merle ever made, practically creating the Outlaw Country sub-genre. Not a very popular or lasting genre, but it was original for the time. It sure is fun and I enjoyed the album. 4/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
I almost felt something, but I think that may have just been me going into a coma. The singer had no opinion or say in almost all of the choices concerning the creation of this album (or any of his albums frankly). This creates a separation between the vocals and the content of those songs. A wall between what the song is really about, how the writer felt about the song, and how Mr. Presley sung them. Elvis has a lot of energy, which I enjoy, but I don't think he was ever that talented, just and excited kid with a good manager (arguably). The lyrics, production, and instrumentation were all good, but just good. Elvis gave a powerful performance, but he's just not all that in my opinion. 3/5
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This album of Kendrick's, especially, is responsible for expanding the hip-hop genre in a way that was desperately needed. The start of creating music of truth that transcended all genres. The influence of this album will be felt for, I don't know, but probably a long time, right? Lyrically, Mr. Lamar is one of the best in the game, ever. Production and structure is beautiful. I can't think of thing not to like about this album, it's so darn good. 5/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
If I'm being honest with myself, this is not a very good album, just more unoriginal brit pop, but I find it fun and enjoyed it for some reason, so that's worth something. 3/5
New Order
3/5
For all of the brit-pop cluttering this list, some actual good british albums can get lost in the crowd, but this one stands out to me as one of the true gems. Still, 80s brit-pop as a genre was never my favorite, but I gotta hand it to them, they made an original album album that was, not only bearable, but downright enjoyable at parts. Not too many complaints, vocals aren’t very strong and almost got repetitive, but it hung in there. 3/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
The Beastie Boys seems to be able to blend hip-hop, punk, jazz, and rock seamlessly all on one album. Samples are great. Lyrics are great. Production is great. Energy is great. Whole album becomes a little slow at the end, but I very much enjoyed all of it. 4/5
Elvis Costello
2/5
What a disappointing, uninspired and unoriginal album Elvis has made. Half the songs were completely boring and lackluster and the other half were, maybe fun, but already been done before. There’s nothing quite new here. I enjoyed the chord progressions and the production is good, but that’s all. Wasn’t even a fan of the instrumentation of vocals. 2/5
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Alanis made a wonderfully delightful album that was one of the defining albums of the 90s. The production is great, the singing is excellent, and the lyrics are fantastic. At a little under an hour long runtime, the album does feel a little stale towards the end, but the whole record is also so original and very fun that it doesn't bother me. 4/5
Barry Adamson
3/5
I really liked some of these songs and detested a couple others. A lot were just meh, but all in all nothing ever really blew me away. Definitely original and I enjoyed those bits. 3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Original and experimental, but repetitive we hell. Whole album was very enjoyable. Hell of a end song too. 3/5
Venom
2/5
Uninspired to the point of annoyance. Instrumentally, they’re technically talented, but use the same basic metal song structure every time. Repetitive and unoriginal, some parts are enjoyable, but if you’ve heard one song, you’ve heard them all. Lyrics are awful, like they’re trying to be satanic without actually knowing what that is. Production value is also just trash. Little to redeem this album, just some mindless metal to put on for a workout or something. 2/5
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
I understand it was a different time and that making an album full of songs that sounded identical wasn’t that bad, but as an album, today, it’s too repetitive. The songwriting is great, but no thanks to these two brothers. Instrumentation is great as well as the vocal harmonies being incredible. Other than that, it’s pretty lackluster. 3/5
The Avalanches
4/5
I’ve always thought this genre was more of a palate cleanser than anything else, but I really enjoyed this one. Not enough to listen to it again because, I’m a sucker for lyrics, but this is perhaps the best album of this genre I’ve ever heard, whatever this genre is called? The structure and chords were fantastic. The way they use 3/4 timing in “Two Hearts in 3/4 Time” is really dope in a way I haven’t heard before. 4/5
Elbow
4/5
This is a fairly new album in comparison to most other on this list and with newer albums it's hard to determine what is original and good vs what is just experimental nonsense. This album is absolutely fantastic, experimental and original in all the right places. Incredibly enjoyable and I look forward to listening to it again. 4/5
3/5
Absolutely anxiety inducing less than a minute in. He certainly is doing his own thing and I—kinda—like it, but also I one hundred percent understand how someone wouldn't. It sounds like every musician was given sheet music for the song and told to just get through it as fast as they fucking could. I don't think I'll ever listen to this again, but it was surely interesting to hear what thrash and jazz would sound like together. In that sense, he did a great job, but music is no good if you can't enjoy it and I can't imagine where this could be enjoyed or who would ever seriously put this on. The timing of the drums rarely match up with the brass, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it isn't done particularly well on this album. Also gets a tad repetitive. It looks like people are really hating on this album and all I can say is that I get it, at least more than most people it seems. 3/5
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Hate to say it, but it really was just some noise. A tad better than garage rock, but they all sounded the same. You could pick one song off the album and claim to have heard them all. Not to say that that one song is bad. It’s a pretty good album to just put on and forget about while working or exercising or something. 2/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
This album made me want to dress like Hugh Hefner and sit on a bear rug, feeding chocolates to my lover in front of a big fireplace in a dimly lit room. Just a nice half hour of good soulful music. Incredibly enjoyable. Love this album. Great instrumentation and singing. Chords and song structures were great. When I got to “Keep Gettin’ It On” I was a little worried about there being a lack of range and by the album’s end, still wasn’t quite satisfied. However, I don’t think this album necessarily needs a ton of range to work. It’s more a vibe-album and has enough lyrical range to carry it. I certainly didn’t care at all for the moaning in the beginning of “You Sure Love To Ball”. 4/5
Deee-Lite
3/5
I don’t think it’s bad, but I do find the entire album slightly disconcerting and off-putting. I won’t listen to it again, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. Really don’t know how to feel about it. Some parts are really good, but then another part in the same song will make me want to turn off the album. 3/5
Neil Young
3/5
None of these songs feel like they belong on the same album, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, in this case, it’s in the sense of the production quality being so drastically different from track to track that it makes it jarring to listen to, and takes away from the general flow of the album. His singing leaves a lot to be desired as well. Instrumentation was fine and lyrics were good. The songs themselves alone were great, but it felt too much like a compilation album. Not that they were all his best tracks, more like they belong to different recording sessions on different albums. I don’t know why it’s so disconcerting to me. The album is fine other than that. 3/5
Iron Maiden
4/5
This album impressed me a lot more than I thought it would. The chords and structures especially. Obviously the instrumentation is next to none in the heavy metal world. I don't mind the singing as much as others might. I agree that their second singer is better, but forgetting that, it's still an incredibly enjoyable album. One that I will put on once in a while. It's original, has range, and substance, not just thrash noise. 4/5
Sepultura
4/5
I’ve always found death metal to be a pretty difficult genre to get into, but these guys seem like they’re really going to be my intro. Instrumentation fucking slaps, so do the structure and chords. My problem bas always been associated with the degree of difficulty in understanding what the singer is saying, but Derrick Green floats that line between intelligible and death metal singer very well. Definitely one of, if not, my favorite death metal album. 4/5
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Couldn't understand a lick of what they were saying, but I was certainly bopping the entire time. Downright pleasant time. 4/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
There isn’t much going on here aside from the lyrics. Guitar stays on the same level of intricacy the whole album. The other instruments aren’t very impressive, either. None of it, including vocals, is bad, but it’s nothing special. What really makes this album are the chords and the way he flows all of those elements together as well as his lyrics. If the album weren’t as repetitive, it may have gotten a perfect score. 4/5
The Temptations
4/5
This shit thrives. Music with a pulsing beat. To not dance during the entire run time of the album would be a very impressive feat. Instrumentation and timing all blend together to make a perfectly funky beat. Vocals from numerous different members create a increasingly elevating and beautiful harmony. Thoroughly enjoyable, but can get a little slow and repetitive at times. Also, I’m inclined to say that the buildup in “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” is perfect. 4/5
Suicide
2/5
One can really go mad waiting for something to happen on this album. Such a boring and disappointingly uneventful piece of music. It’s different and original from other music of the time, but fails to be very deep. You could just listen to one song and get the idea of the rest. Very uninspiring. Even “Frankie’s Teardrop”, by far the most out there song on the album, was fucking unbearable. They are technically talented musicians, but haven’t got a clue on how to make an enjoyable album. 2/5
TV On The Radio
4/5
I didn’t expect much going in. Not sure why, maybe the underwhelming album cover, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. Enjoyable songs with a ton of range. Only gripe is that the songs don’t quite excite me. They’re really great and I enjoyed every track on the album, but it didn’t quite have that inspiring element to it that would’ve made it legendary. Great production, instrumentation and vocals. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4/5
Willie Nelson
5/5
My only complaint is that some tracks weren’t long enough. He seemed to have about half a concept album and finished the rest with some filler tracks that could have really enhanced the album if more time was put into them. Everything else was perfect and I can’t imagine any other issues someone could have. His singing, as always, is beautiful. Instrumentation was tight and I even enjoyed the instrumentals. One of my favorites of his. This was Willie’s second album of the year and, to this day, it is common for him to release at least an album a year. I can only imagine if he took a break from pumping out album after album and took a pause to really craft one incredible album. 5/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
I don't like live album cover bands, and these guys are clearly just an imitation of The Grateful Dead. Not a bad imitation, but an imitation none the less. I really don't have much to say other than they played well, but that's not much. I don't really have anything to go off so how could I rate them. I enjoyed listening to the album so I guess they got that going for them. Want to give them a one, but I know they don't deserve that low. 2/5
Iron Maiden
5/5
Fantastic metal album, one of the best. Possibly Iron Maiden’s best work. Lyrics and instrumentation are phenomenal. Also the new singer is doing wonderful, way better than the first guy, although I didn’t hate him either. Incredibly enjoyable, wasn’t my first listen and it won’t be my last. 5/5
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Loved this album. Very original and I could never see what was coming next, which I loved. Nothing special about the singing or instrumentation in my opinion, but the chords and structure were fascinating. I enjoyed this album very much and will be listening again, although probably not as a whole album as not every song was all that exciting, just a good few. 4/5
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
One of the most iconic rap albums of all time with an almost incalculable influence spanning both genres and decades. Admittedly, it does sound a tad dated given what is being made today, but all modern rap music must pay homage to the OG's who paved the way. A wildly original style for the time. Although it may sound a little dorky for today's standards, there isn't much to not like. 4/5
Heaven 17
2/5
Kinda fun? is all the possible positivity I can give this album. Unoriginal, aggressively repetitive, lackluster lyrics, alright production. The best of the album is when it ends. I really fucking loved the bassist on this, though. He is the only aspect keeping this album from a complete failure. Funky funky. 2/5
fIREHOSE
4/5
As always, I was disappointed to receive another post punk 80s Brit-Pop album, but this one was very refreshing compared to others I've gotten. Experimental and original content that expanded the genre instead of just playing in it. In my opinion, the album was a little slow, but had a surprising amount of range I appreciate the effort and risk on some of these tracks. I enjoyed this album a lot more than others of the same genre on this list. 4/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Can you think of anything wrong with this album. It’s like their first and second albums are just part one and part two. Not a single thing to change. An inspiration to so many musicians, including myself. The solo on “Heartbreaker” is the reason I started playing guitar. Perfect. 5/5
D'Angelo
3/5
I’m a little surprised I haven’t heard more about D’Angelo. The album was a tad repetitive for my taste, but other than that, I enjoyed it. Forgettable, but not unbearable by any means. 3/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I enjoyed this album, but doubt I’ll listen again. They did a great job singing and all harmonizing, but there’s only so much you can do without instruments before it becomes repetitive. 3/5
Tom Waits
4/5
Listening to this album feels like being smacked in the skull with a sack of bricks. I don’t know what kind of debauchery is being described, but the entire first half of this album just makes me feel dirty. The second half was a lot easier to enjoy, as it was more traditional. I believe it was good. Lyrics were incredible. He was gifted with a very unique voice. Wide range, original chord progressions, and structure was nice. 4/5
Cypress Hill
4/5
This was fun and had a lot of substance to it. Pigs is a great intro song and the energy falters a little here and there, but for the most part, they maintain that high. Loved the lyrics, great structure and flow. Very enjoyable. 4/5
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
There is so much I love about this album. Such a new vibe. Good enough range. Very original. The singing is both soft and powerful. The instrumentation is beautiful and poignant. Chords and structure impressed me and the lyrics and also pretty good. 4/5
David Ackles
1/5
He can’t pull a single one of these songs. He doesn’t sing like he really loves the songs, he’s just getting through them. I don’t believe him. Never heard of him and for goos reason it seems. Lyrically, stylistically, and vocally, he sounds like he is copying other popular artists of the time and fails at every turn to capture what makes them special. It isn’t quite unbearable to listen to, but damn near. Even the structure and instrumentation were choppy and poor. I can’t think of a single plus to give this album, except that maybe the theatrical parts were a little interesting. Sorry Davy. 1/5
Kanye West
4/5
What an amazing album. Everything is so good and original and exciting. Alive with energy. So many good artists all on one album. Dragged toward the end of the album and some songs may go on a little long, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. No doubt will listen to again. 4/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
Really enjoyed this album, it was fun. Not much here to rag on, but also not much to rave over. 3/5
2/5
“I know what’s good, and I know what trash is”
Hey me too!
2/5
TLC
4/5
Oh hell yeah. This is fire. 90s R&B at its finest. Loved it, very enjoyable except for the interludes, which I almost never enjoy. A tad repetitive, but I didn’t really mind. 4/5
Genesis
3/5
Pretty experimental for prog rock. Never too experimental, but perhaps that’s why I found myself becoming bored with it. Was pretty repetitive and no big change up throughout the album. Enjoyable and entertaining, but that’s all. 3/5
Morrissey
3/5
Wasn’t expecting to enjoy it, but I did expect it to be good; and it was. I almost enjoyed it too. The problem I’ve always had with this guy is that his voice is always so needlessly melodramatic. Weren’t any tracks I thought were objectively bad, but I can’t say I was all too thrilled with any either. 3/5
Randy Newman
3/5
Randy Newman has such a recognizable voice, especially if you grew up with Toy Story. Didn’t like the god parts, but they were still not bad songs. Enjoyed the whole thing, but it got repetitive, just a bit. Not a very exciting album. Lyrically it’s wonderful and thoughtful. The chords and structure go hard as well. Mid to good. 3/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Not a single bad thing to say about this album. Absolute perfection. Some of Zeppelin’s best songs and, needless to say, Stairway is one of the best songs of all time. The whole thing is so innovative, while still remaining grounded. 5/5
Steve Earle
3/5
Like an uninspired, country version of Bruce Springsteen with less feeling. Nice basic songwriting and structure, nothing extra. Nice album to throw on just to have some noise, but isn’t really deep. It’s fun and I enjoyed it. No substance though. 3/5
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Lovely acoustic album of the 1980s. Wasn’t too out there, but did have some original and unique bits to it which make the album very enjoyable. The combination of different genres and less popular instruments really add the creativity of this album. 4/5
Raekwon
4/5
Exceptionally pleasing to listen to, but not for an hour and fifteen minutes. Too repetitive. Kinda? changes it up towards the end. A pretty influential album. Great samples and lyrics. Enjoyed it. 4/5
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Frank kinda takes the spotlight and shoves ol’ Jobim to the corner doesn’t he? Taking the parts of Bossa Nova he enjoys and forming it to the style he desires. This isn’t a bad thing, in fact, I think it adds to Sinatra’d talent to be able to blend two regions of music so seamlessly. Beautifully quiet and powerful album. Lyrically impressive as are almost all of Frankie boy’s songs. Not much to dislike, but it didn’t wow me or anything. 4/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It was surprisingly original and innovative. He uses odd time signatures without making them sound odd. The writing and instrumentation and also pretty good. I was never a big fan of his voice, but it could be worse. The album never seemed to feel repetitive. Always something new going on, though some tracks ran a tad long. 4/5
Julian Cope
2/5
I don’t think this guy’s very talented. 2/5
Kinda clunky, honky-tonk rock. It isn’t the most original music, but it’s quite enjoyable. Every song achieves what it set out to do. Not much to hate here and a lot to love. Good deal of emotion in here too, though maybe a bit repetitive at the end. 3/5
Super Furry Animals
4/5
I had never heard of this album or the band or any of their songs. After listening, my expectations have far been surpassed. So much range on this album. Lovely songs that were also so original it’s hard to believe it came out over 20 years ago. I loved the entire thing start to finish even if some songs didn’t quite land. 4/5
David Bowie
5/5
Such a beautiful album. Glad I had this excuse to listen to it again. Not a single miss on the entire album. Perfect from the start in lyrics, composition, instrumentation, and Bowie’s recognizable warm voice pulls it all together to deliver such a brilliant album. 5/5
Finley Quaye
3/5
His lazy, half-assed attempt at sounding reggae is distracting.I can’t tell if it works, but I’m leaning towards absolutely not. Same song the whole album, minimal range. Enjoyable, but not for almost an hour. 3/5
Nick Drake
4/5
These are incredibly beautiful songs. It's a shame they've never become very popular, because there's a lot to love here. Nick's voice is so unique and contains so much emotion in it. The lyrics are poetic and beautiful and the instruments, however few they may be are played so fantastically. I enjoy his music very much. 4/5
Neil Young
3/5
Well I can’t say that album justifies its place on the list, but it was certainly entertaining. He has some really nice songs in there, just not very original or inspiring or having range. 3/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Eric Clapton makes this band somehow more boring than it already is, which seemed impossible considering they’re a white blues band. 2/5
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
This album really drones on without providing much of a break anywhere. It’s the same repetitive, melodramatic song over and over. An original sound that I haven’t quite heard before or since. I could pick one or two songs from this album and be fine not listening to the rest, though. Innovative. 4/5
Eurythmics
2/5
Here's an extremely lackluster 80s band that somehow wrote and recorded one of the most popular songs of the decade and nothing else of consequence. Their use of synth is semi-original, but not at all innovative. Lyrics, production, and structure are all fine. People seem to think this album is really something special solely because of the title track, but their failure to replicate such a song ever again proves, at least to me, that it was a stroke of luck. 2/5
The Undertones
4/5
An inspiration to any group that doesn’t know more than four chords. And they were. The Undertones were such a big inspiration for so may bands forming the punk rock genre, so, respect there. As far as the album itself goes, it’s pretty good. There’s not much, instrumentally speaking, but they make up for that lack very fun and enjoyable music. Lyrically and thematically great as well. 4/5
The Shamen
1/5
I don’t want to think about this somethingless noise anymore. I want to move on and never again think of this uninspired album again.
Miles Davis
5/5
Miles Davis was consistently at the forefront of every major jazz movement, innovating throughout every stage of his career. ‘Bitches Brew’ is a perfect example of him doing whatever the hell he wants, taking risks, and being completely successful at it and creating one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. One of the greatest albums of all time in general. Most people who dislike this album are people who didn’t even try to understand it. I don’t understand jazz whatsoever, but I still think this album fuckin grooves dude. 5/5
The Clash
4/5
They were doing so much in a genre that really didn’t require that much at the time and went some much further than what was required, experimenting with new techniques and all of it worked so well to make such an enjoyable debut album. One of the best punk rock albums of all time. 4/5
Grateful Dead
5/5
I love this album so much. It’s so beautiful. The lyrics are on a whole other level of incredible, with help from the late, great Robert Hunter. Chords feel familiar but they’re also very original. Also, a good variety of songs on this album from a band who historically have low of range. The instruments are tight which comes from a band that is completely all on the same page with each other. It goes without saying, as well, that the songs are so fun to listen to. Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, and Truckin’ are the hits and also half of the entire album. This album was such a big step up for the band and the music community at the time, I haven’t a single complaint. 5/5
CHIC
3/5
An undeniably enjoyable groove. This is an unavoidable toe-tapper. The lyrics are’t incredible and I’ve never been too big a fan of instrumentals, but they make up for it with simply how fun all these songs are. 3/5
The Who
1/5
I love The Who. I hate live albums. Few bands can pull off a good live album and I hold nothing against The Who for not being one of those bands. I do, however, hold it against the curator of this list. 1/5
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Not the best jazz I've ever listened to, but it was a nice, pretty original and enjoyable album. Very calming and beautiful, but not all that inspiring. 3/5
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
I was listening to this album while writing a paper for my biology class that I, coincidentally, submitted in the “Nick of Time”. This doesn’t really have anything to do with my ranking if the album, but I though it was cool. The album was nice. The lyrics were beautiful and reflective in a genre that tends to get bogged down in cliches. The songs were fun to listen to and didn’t get boring, which is always a plus. I don’t think any of it was incredibly original, apart from the words she sang, however I liked it. 4/5
Billy Bragg
3/5
Boring and uninspired. Some parts could be interesting, but for the most part, not interested. 3/5
The Electric Prunes
3/5
A wonderful psychedelic rock album. A true hidden treasure of the genre. Wasn’t too much substance here, but most of the tracks were enjoyable. Some tracks were annoying, but for the most part, fun. 3/5
Deep Purple
3/5
This isn’t their best work. Our great great list curator overlords have selected a Deep Purple album at a time in their career when they sounded like a garage rock band with something a little special going on. This album is certainly better than just garage rock, but the long instrumental bits aren’t good enough to justify themselves, which take away from the album. The lyrics are very cool and I enjoyed the whole thing. I just know they have much more to offer, which makes the album feel boring comparatively. 3/5
The Prodigy
2/5
This album leaves with the taste of nothing in my mouth. A palette cleanser that goes on too long. They thought so far outside the box that they ended up making their own box that they were unable to think outside of. The music of this album fails to deliver the excitement promised to us listeners by the cover art. I am disappointed, but not surprised. 2/5
The Flaming Lips
3/5
This album surprised me by having a better second half than first half, a trait which most albums aren’t able to boast. Both halves were good, but I enjoyed the latter more because it delivered the excitement promised by the title and and cover art. The first half was, honestly, boring as fuck. Though I recognize, like The Flaming Lips’ whole discography, it was original and innovative, I wasn’t able to get into it. A lackluster beginning with a pretty solid closing. 3/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Such an important album. So innovative. Bookending the album with the first and second half of a beautiful 26 minute song that perfectly encapsulates what it means to lose a friend. In between are three songs that deal with the soulless life of the music industry and the best send off to an original frontman there ever was, though there isn’t much competition. The writing, playing, structure, vocals, chords, everything here works so well. This is an incredible album, I could write about it for so much longer. I love it. 5/5
Underworld
1/5
I’ll call this, over an hour of me waiting for something interesting to happen. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, I waited in vain. Maybe I would enjoy this if I was cracked up, but for now, it makes me want to tear my ears off and ask “why me?”. 1/5
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I enjoyed this album very much. That doesn’t mean the album was good. I always tend to think any jazz is awesome, but this seemed a little plain. The background was incredibly simple throughout the album and, while, the sax was fantastic, it cannot make up for the fact that such a large part of what makes jazz great is lost on here. By no means was it a bad album. It was good, but it really could have been great. 3/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Johnny Cash is one of the only artists that can play as good live as he did in the studio. He has a fantastic live persona that just electrifies the audience. Usually, I can never stand live versions of songs. Johnny makes one of the only exceptions. It does feel like cheating in a way, though, because he can pick his best songs. So, the album is composed of some of Johnny’s best songs, but the score I give it can’t reflect that. A real dilemma. One of the best live albums of all time. 4/5
Tom Waits
1/5
Oh my god, make it fucking stop. How about that? 1/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Kinda boring, but also entertaining. Somewhat original, but not exciting. 3/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
One of the best reggae albums from, probably, the best reggae artist there ever was. I’ve never met a single person who didn’t enjoy Bob Marley. I don’t really think it’s possible to hate the music. The lyrics are insanely profound and the instrumentation is fantastic. Every song on this album slaps. They don’t all slap the same, but they slap. 5/5
3/5
Kind of good, kind of original, psychedelic rock. Not impressed, but I am entertained. 3/5
Nas
4/5
I don’t think people give this album enough credit for how much it changed the rap scene, which, at the time, was in a sort of lull. Most artists started sounding the same and blending together. Nas cam on the scene with this album which was so innovative while also feeling incredibly familiar that his style took over the community so quickly in a way most people underestimate. This is such a thought provoking, beautiful, and very enjoyable album. 4/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I love how they embraced the tinny sound. An experimental wonderland that works around 90% of the time. European Son could have been cut or made better. Lyrics were beautiful and the sound was all original. 4/5
5/5
The Beatles were making innovations on their own innovations. They made such good songs and made it seem so easy that the album’s reach is incalculable. Some of the most timeless lyrics, original chords, perfect structure, and downright enjoyable. Love this album. 5/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Whether you like him or not, when a crowd demands you play a song that you just finished playing, that’s good live energy. Johnny Cash is one of the best at live performances, but given that it is a live album, he can choose his best songs to perform so I have trouble giving live albums the same type of rating as studio albums. That being said, it’s on hell of a banger and I love it. All songs very enjoyable. 4/5
Paul Simon
4/5
Lotta range, lotta fun, not much to dislike. The lyrics and chords were good. The production and structure were fine. Enjoyed it. 4/5
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Great album, love Bill’s work. Enjoyed it very much, but don’t understand why this couldn’t have been recorded in a studio. Would have been a lot better. 4/5
Metallica
2/5
Fuck this. It belongs no where near this list. I love Metallica, but live albums just fucking suck 90% of the time. 2 hours of this shit didn’t help either. 2/5
Incubus
3/5
Not the best album of the nineties, but certainly one of the most nineties feeling. Enjoyed most, if not all, tracks. However, none of these songs were particularly exciting. 3/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This is a beautiful album, with beautiful songs, with beautiful lyrics and beautiful chords. I love the entire thing. Stevie Wonder did not miss. Incredibly original and wildly enjoyable. 5/5
Eels
3/5
A nice easy album to listen to. I enjoyed it, although I don’t think there’s much here, substantially speaking. Not incredibly original or deep. Not particularly interesting or innovative. None of the songs were necessarily bad, though. 3/5
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
These songs make my head fuzzy. I don’t doubt their originality, but I will be doubting their range and innovation. Enjoyed most songs, although, they’re mainly the same. 3/5
Coldplay
3/5
I expected Coldplay to be worse. They get a bad rap, but this album was pretty good. It doesn’t hold up as well as some other albums of the time, but it can still be enjoyed every once in a while. Not too original, but by no means is it a bad album. 3/5
Spiritualized
3/5
A tad boring, if I’m being honest. Original, but not exciting. 3/5
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Forty-two minutes of Elizabeth Fraser moaning into the mic while the guys whist some chords together. A defining 80s sound and pretty original, but not very exciting and lacked range. Enjoyed very few parts. 3/5
Elliott Smith
4/5
Love this album. Conveys such a strong vibe while also maintaining range. All the tracks slap. I always enjoy Mr. Smith and have nothing bad to say about this album. It’s a shame he’s not more popular. 4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Kinda very repetitive to the point where it’s disappointing because I know they can do more. Nothing incredibly wrong with this album, I enjoyed it very much. Just wish there was a bit more. 3/5
Radiohead
5/5
This is somewhere around my fourth time listening to the album and, each time, I enjoy it more than the last. Completely original and all in a good way. Enjoyed the hell out of it. 5/5
Wilco
3/5
The quality of these songs do not justify the run time of the album. Shorten up the track listing and focus on improving your best songs. Too repetitive for nineteen tracks. None of the songs were bad. I enjoyed all of them and I did enjoy the album, just a little annoyed with the way they spent some of their time. 3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis. The album is nice, but not as exciting as some of his other works. His music is always original, but this one feels more “of the time” while many of his others feel like future jazz that the rest of the world takes a while to catch up to. That being said, it’s still an incredible jazz album. I enjoyed every track and will most definitely listen to it again sometime in the future. 4/5
Slipknot
3/5
Not being able to understand the lyrics takes away from a big part of the music. I imagine if I was a bigger fan of this genre, I would be able to understand them easier, so I won’t hold it against them as it is, at times, intelligible. The chords and structures are creative and exciting. There is a good bit of range in here, especially towards the latter half, which helps. I enjoyed this album, I’ll listen to some of these songs again, but probably not all in one sitting. 3/5
Chicago
3/5
Some really good stuff in here, but also some stuff that sounds like the background music from a 70’s porno. Not a fan of that seven minute “guitar solo” either. Lots of hits and lots of misses. 3/5
The Byrds
3/5
The found their sound and it certainly is unique to them. I wish the album had more range and originality to it. The covers are justified takes on the originals. There’s nothing really wrong here. Kinda bland, but not really. I can tell why they didn’t stick around long. 3/5
Green Day
5/5
A fantastic album. If not their best, one of them. Definitely top 2. I enjoy every song on this album and believe that it has a ton of range, but I’ve been listening to this album my whole life, so I’m a little biased. A generation defining album with incalculable impact. This is a great angsty album for moody teenagers that also contains deeper material you can find relevant later in life. 5/5
Faust
3/5
If I’m forced to listen to German fusion, then this is the album I can tolerate most. They had just the right amount of experimental to make it exciting while also keeping it enjoyable. Unfortunately, the most enjoyable Faust songs are still semi-annoying. It’s as if each song is missing something integral to it being great, whether that’s lyrics, rhythm, justifiable runtime, too much experimenting, etc. It’s very strong in both directions, so I give it an average score, but it is by no means a “meh” album. 3/5
Dusty Springfield
4/5
A good number of definite bangers in here mixed in with some very alright songs. Dusty has such a wonderful voice that puts me on her side. A lovely emotional album that I enjoyed very much and will enjoy again someday. 4/5
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Such an insanely good album that I will never be smart enough to completely understand. I come away with something new each time I listen. Kendrick has a way of blending intellectual ideas into enjoyable songs. Not only were there hits on hits, but all of them were also full of substance. One of the best albums of all time. I think that final song could have been cut in half, but whatever. 5/5
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I really like some of these songs. I really despise the others. The Velvet Underground definitely have a distinct sound, not that I enjoy it, but it’s certainly original. I admire the risk of experimenting they took, but, personally, it was just all over the place. 3/5
Supertramp
4/5
This album sounds like a band with the potential to do some pretty amazing stuff, but this specific album is not there yet. There a elements to it that I really enjoy, and if they leaned into them more, it make for a solid album. It’s a good debut album. They clearly define their distinct sound and have some original concepts going. Only main issue for me is that the production doesn’t sound to hot, but other than that, it’s great. 4/5
Paul Simon
3/5
Paul Simon has done better and the juxtaposition between this album and his greater work is noticeable. The writing is down considerably. Cars Are Cars? Still not a bad album, enjoyed most songs, just not his best. 3/5
The Zombies
4/5
I always enjoy this album. It was fresh and original while still being fun to listen to. Good writing, chords, production, instrumentation, and singing. Structure’s alright. I would’ve played “Time of the Season” first and “This Will Be Out Year” last. Good opener and closer. 4/5
The Byrds
2/5
I love this album and I really enjoyed listening, but it is bad. Lazy writing, unoriginal chords and structure, lackluster performance. The runtime is too short, especially since two are gospel songs. The production was good and the Byrds definitely have their unique sound, but that doesn’t save this album. Quite a vibe though. 2/5
Nico
2/5
I feel as though I’m listening to someone brought from the middle ages into a studio. Lyrics are good, but it not original. I can enjoy it if I’m in the mood. Also, personally, I’m not a fan of Nico’s voice. A unique album, but not interesting or original. 2/5
Adele
4/5
This is such a beautiful album. The singing obviously, but also the production, lyrics, instrumentation. It’s got range and originality. It feels fresh and I enjoy listening to it. 4/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Such a raw debut album. Whereas her second album had more bangers. This one was softer and more subtle. The modern jazz was beautiful and so was her singing, as always. The songwriting could be a little clunky in places, but were good for the most part. Enjoyed it. 4/5
The Specials
2/5
It was fun at first, but then quickly turned to repetitive and annoying. Not impressed. 2/5
Violent Femmes
4/5
They made listening to post-punk a bearable activity. The songs felt unique, energetic, and fun. They have a sound that makes them stand out and I’ll always enjoy listening to any if these songs. 4/5
Muddy Waters
2/5
Muddy waters is a great musician, but this was a live album and it did not deliver as live albums often do. Apologies, Mr. Mud. Each song was good, but sounded very similar to the previous. 2/5
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
That was mostly a waste of time. I feel no wiser after listening. Nothing gained. Although “Beach Samba” was enjoyable, it was nowhere near close enough to save the album from being competitively boring. 2/5
Roxy Music
3/5
Production is great, but the sounds that they produce are fine. Most of the time, they’re fun to listen to, but nothing special. Unique, but boring. Almost got excited in a few parts. 3/5
Muddy Waters
4/5
These are well crafted, fun, enthusiastic, blues songs. I enjoyed every second of it. It isn’t the most innovative album, innovative for blues, but not really for the rest of the music industry. Everything is fantastic. Muddy and his band all play together so perfectly. Love this album. 4/5
The Lemonheads
3/5
This is a fun album. All the songs are enjoyable, but they do start to blend together pretty quickly. There’s nothing wrong with the album per se, but it’s not incredibly inspiring either. Just nice and relaxing. 3/5
Bill Callahan
1/5
Unimaginative, unoriginal, and unintriguing. I was hoping that the lyrics would be interesting at the very least, but they’re very bad and I just can’t find anything good to say about this. It couldn’t end soon enough. 1/5
Supergrass
4/5
This is wonderful. Feels authentic and original while also being enjoyable to listen to. Things do start to blend together, but the songs themselves are great. The experimental bits work without being too much. Surprised it’s this good for never having heard of it. 4/5
Supergrass
4/5
This is the second Supergrass album in row. I don’t know if they so this on purpose, but they shouldn’t. Pretty similar to the other one on this list. Fun songs, fairly original, some substance. I don’t see a big change in quality between the two. Suppose I’ll give it the same rating. 4/5
Alice In Chains
4/5
Not sure what genre Alice In Chains is (unease?), but they sure are the best at it. Classic 90s hits in a style that most people would never bother trying to ingest. Alice In Chains made it so good, the average neanderthal could enjoy it. Good shit, love to see, it hear, be with it. 4/5
Brian Eno
1/5
Wow. Slow goins, huh, Brian? What a boring album. First track was single piano notes, next was mind numbing aahs. Half expected the third song (if you don’t mind me calling them songs) to be a single snare drum being hit slowly and melodically, but no. The aahs stayed and the one fingered pianist was brought back for an encore. Final track, and there are only four, was the most exciting and if you just listen to the final track you’d be like “This is the exciting one?”. Also, what was with the 20ish seconds of silence that closed out each track? Truly an atrocious piece of work. The only kind of good thing I can say about it is that it sounds like an intriguing idea in theory. I realized that I had actually listened to this album before, but I forgot because it was so uneventful, and, please I beg of thee, let me forget the 48 minutes I wasted enduring this again. 1/5
Prince
4/5
Some funky 80s synth bops. Prince is no doubt original. This album feels like he can't get his talent out fast enough. Ends up like a jumble of confusing songs that don't know what they're trying to accomplish. Not to say none of the songs land, just that it feels very multi-directional. Also, something needs to be said about the length. Most songs were not good enough to justify how long they went on. Just end them already. It gets annoying. 4/5
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
This is a very unfocused project from these guys. It pulls a lot from Elvis Costello vocally and a number of mediocre garage rock band instrumentally, which, in this context, feels indecisive and not well done. There are some solid, fun songs on here, but it’s difficult to get past the cheesy lyrics, repetitiveness, and unoriginal style. 3/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
This is an assortment of forgettable rock-pop tracks with nothing special going on in any of them. They definitely cultivated a sound and style unique to them, but the only issue is that it’s not enjoyable whatsoever. It makes the music a little grittier, but in a disorienting way that leaves the listener with a headache. The last track caught my attention after all the repetitive songs before. Couldn’t save the album, though. 2/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Hit after hit on this album. Almost track lands. Every one is a bop for me and I can always enjoy it. I understand the long cover may not be for everyone though. I understand that, it was very ambitious. Solid production, writing, instrumentation, vocals etc. Not much to dislike. 4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
This is my least favorite album by my favorite band. I don't think they're as there creatively as they are in their other projects. It was a new direction, but the execution was a tad sloppy. The songs "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" and "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" exemplify this best. They're disorienting with no real redeeming qualities. "Friends" and "Out On the Tiles" are a little better, but ultimately kind of annoying. Also, I've always thought "Immigrant Song" was overrated, although I do love it. I love the rest, as well, and actually think they're underrated comparatively. I appreciate the band going a new direction into softer rock and still always enjoy listening. I just enjoy some tracks more than others is all. 4/5
N.W.A.
4/5
Solid. Iconic. Fun. The only thing against the album is that the songs get repetitive pretty quick as most of them have a very similar beat. Most, not all. Also, lyrically, some problematic themes. Other than that, possibly the best debut rap albums of all time (if we’re not counting N.W.A. and the Posse) by one of the best rap groups ever. The influence is incalculable and I’ll always enjoy listening. 4/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
The album really took a turn for the worse once it started. The production is good, however, that’s mainly where my praise stops. The lyrics are nonsensical and the beats and vocals are annoyingly repetitive. I can’t believe they made an hour of this. If I just had one song, I could see it being a fun song to dance to and in that sense it’s fine, just not for me. 2/5
King Crimson
4/5
One of the best examples of experimental psychedelic rock. They were incredibly progressive and the album shows them rocking incredibly hard and also playing very soft. It’s a well produced album with good instrumentation, vocals, lyrics, and structure. Some of the later tracks were a tad drawn out, but I enjoyed most of it. 4/5
Ice T
4/5
Ice-T crafted an incredibly fun and enjoyable album while still making it original, intelligent, and relevant. There’s enough range on this album to justify a longer runtime and I didn’t get bored at all through the album. It stays intriguing the entire run. Sometimes his flow can be a little clunky and the rhythm doesn’t really match up. That’s the only critique I have though. 4/5
Frank Zappa
5/5
Hot Rats is an incredibly innovative album in the jazz fusion world. Zappa and his mates have crafted a fun filled, action packed, beautifully orchestrated album with influence that cannot be overstated. I believe, in almost all cases, tracks over ten minutes could most likely be shortened. However, if we’re dealing with jazz. If it’s jazz in which we are dealing with. Jazz being the if in which we deal, then I don’t mind it. I never felt bored while listening. I’ll listen again as I’ve enjoyed it before. 5/5
The Cramps
3/5
I like the idea of spooky surf rock. They’re the best to ever do it, although I don’t believe they’ve been challenged. They sound like a band Herman Munster would enjoy. Each song is incredibly fun and feels totally original and unique to the band. Unfortunately, given this album is an hour of music, the songs all sound the same. Still though, I enjoyed the entire album so it only scores low for lack of range. 3/5
Dolly Parton
4/5
Classic after classic on this one. This era of Dolly is where she was at her best, at least, lyrically and for a woman in the early seventies, writing your own songs at all is impressive, let alone that they’re country gold. This album is a cozy collection of songs that can comfort you even if she’s singing about heavier topics because Dolly is just so simply, incredibly authentic. She’s an incredible singer but rarely feels the need to show that off. Some of the tracks don’t have enough going on to really keep the album moving. The blend together a little after a while (could be because more than half of them were recorded the same day), but Dolly always finds a way to pull you back in. Also, not sure if this is something I don’t like or just something I noticed, but putting “Traveling Man”, a song where Dolly criticizes her mother, directly after the title track, which praises her mother, does make for a harsh juxtaposition of her maternal relationship. All in all, love this album, love Dolly. Fun and enjoyable. 4/5
Solange
4/5
A collection of seemingly dreamy modern R&B songs interspersed with interview like interludes. There isn’t one aspect of this album that doesn’t work. The features are solid. The writing goes hard, especially contrasted with the airy quality of her singing, which is also solid. I have no complaints with the production, structure, or instrumentation. Melodies are original and intriguing. The only aspect that could have been improved on is that there isn’t quite enough excitement going on to hold my interest. Every now and then I’ll get pulled back, but it’s a little too low key and easy to tune out. For the most part, very enjoyable. 4/5
The Fall
3/5
This is a little better than the average punk bad of it’s era, but barely. The Fall have their own unique sound carved out, and it’s not bad, but it isn’t very exciting either. Most songs sound pretty similar, even if they are all good. Except for the Christmas song and the last track which has too much time and too little vocals, I enjoyed the whole thing. 3/5
ZZ Top
3/5
This is a fun album. Id you go into it wanting anything more, I believe that you’ll be pretty disappointed. The production, lyrics, vocals, and instrumentals are all basically fine, but this album really shines in the way it makes the listener feel. It’s just a good jam. Is there a lot of range on here? No. Do the two hits have practically the exact same opening? Yes. Did they put their two hits on the same side? Yes. Who cares. We ball. Enjoy yourself. 3/5
ZZ Top
4/5
Second day in a row getting ZZ Top. I don’t know that they both deserve to be on this list, not sure which I’d choose. Maybe neither. ZZ Top is a fun listen, but I don’t know if any of their albums belongs in the Top 1001. This is a good album, don’t get it twisted. They were very early in showing off their signature sound that made them unique. A very mellow and muddled country-blues-rock sound that you can put on any time you want some easy listening music. It’s good times. This album has more heart than some of their later stuff, but, as a tradeoff, is done sloppier. Instrumentation and production aren’t at their best here. Lyrics are a tad one dimensional as well. The fact that it’s clear the band is really into their music even though the sound is so relaxed is what makes this album so fun. This project shows more range than their later work. Also, can’t believe people are sleepin’ on “Hot, Blue and Righteous”. Truly the hidden gem on this album. I’d love to own this album and throw it and enjoy it on whenever I’m feeling all at one with everything. 4/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
This is a significant improvement over the other Kraftwerk album on this list. These songs are both listenable and discernible from one another. There are actually some interesting parts here. My main criticism is that, although, for example, “The Robots” is a fun tune, 6 minutes of it is too much. It’s still a boring album, but it sounded alright. 2/5
The Cure
4/5
This album is good in the sense that it set The Cure apart as having their own unique style instead of just being another pop-punk band. All of the songs have very original and intriguing elements to them that keep them interesting. The lyrics, chords, structure, and instrumentation are all beautiful. There is, although, an unforgiving lack of range. Not the best work of this band, but not bad. 4/5
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
If someone says they’re into soul, this is what I would think of. Groovy, funky soul music. I really enjoy this album. It’s fun to listen to while also being intelligent. I like that it has fun with it’s experimentation rather than taking itself too seriously. The instrumentation is great and the singing as well. Not much bad to say about it. 4/5
2/5
This album had such an incredible amount of original experimentation that a listener should never feel bored, but here I am. 2/5
Radiohead
4/5
This is fun to listen to. Hell of a lot going on, but it all comes together. Great lyrics, production is impeccable, feels completely original, fun to listen to. One of the bands greatest works. Not my favorite of theirs due to lack of range, but definitely top three. 4/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Far too many classics on this album. Easily one of the greatest debut albums of all time. This album launched Hendrix onto the scene and is, unfortunately, one of only three albums we got from him. With so many songs on this project, it’s incredibly impressive that each one stands out against the others. The songwriting is beautiful and impeccable. The instrumentation is obviously immaculate, as Hendrix couldn’t play poorly if he tried. This album deserves to be on the list. Production is the only area that isn’t stellar, but I’ve never really cared too much about that. 5/5
Ray Charles
4/5
Genius record. Hit after hit on this one. The energy is so high from every member that the feeling becomes infectious (Charles is always gives the perfect energy). The writing and production are both good, for the time. I’ll listen to most of these songs again. 4/5
The Who
4/5
This may sound dated for what we have today, but for the time it was incredibly innovative. They defined their own jangly sound and, for a debut album, were pretty original. Songs like “I’m a Man” are little strange as covers because it sounds like he’s doing a poor imitation rather than actually covering the song in their own style. Other than that, the vocals are always fine and the instrumentation is fantastic as always. This isn’t the best record of theirs, but it was a great starting point. 4/5
The Everly Brothers
2/5
The album starts off promising enough with a couple good songs, but never builds on that. I don't want to say any of them were bad, but they certainly didn't excite me. The Everly Brothers are a fairly influential group with some pretty popular
songs, but never really big albums. That wasn't their focus, or any group's focus at the time. Given that, it gets boring pretty quick and, since the entire project is only 28 minutes long, it doesn't give the album time to redeem itself. Lyrically it's pretty rough, nothing to write home about instrumentally, and the production is simply A OK. The best thing about it, as well as all Everly Brothers projects, are the harmonies. 2/5
The Who
5/5
This project has a lot of rejects from their previous album, “Tommy” but it doesn’t show. The songs are all great. Each one a “The Who” classic and are all fun to listen to. Great vocals and instrumentation as well. I have no praises or complaints with the production. 5/5
Marty Robbins
4/5
Speaking purely in terms of gunfighter ballads and/or trail songs, you can’t get better than Marty Robbins and Marty, apparently, could never do better than this. So if gunfighter ballads and/or trail songs be what your looking for, look no further. You have found the peak. If gunfighter ballads and/or trail songs ain’t what you’re looking for, then your SOL. Safe travels, friends. 4/5
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Glam rock never really took off and was only big for a short period of time. This album, I don’t believe added much to the genre. Most of the songs are really forgettable, although the title track has some originality to it as well as some lyrics with actual substance. I also do appreciate the change up in part 3 of “The Last of the Teenage Idols, Pts. 1-3”. Most of the others fade into obscurity with their derivative chords and structuring as well as boring lyrics. Production and instruments can be hit or miss. I can enjoy this album while also realizing that it isn’t very good. 2/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Think of one aspect of this album and tell me it’s not perfect. Lyrics, production, instrumentation, chords, structure, etc. Pure vibes coming off this thing. 5/5
Thelonious Monk
4/5
The thing I love about jazz is that I don’t understand it at all. I enjoy listening to it, but don’t know why like I would with other genres. Thelonious Monk is one of my go to jazz musicians if I want to hear some good jazz. He’s very good at establishing his moods and obviously the instrumentation is impeccable. The second track droned a tad and I would have preferred he cut it back a little and perhaps made another, more interesting, piece. My only critique. 4/5
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I wasn’t very excited by this. It’s a fun listen, though mostly forgettable. Nothing really wrong, but nothing really exciting either. There’s good and bad here, but mostly just meh. 3/5
Pixies
3/5
There’s excellent playing and singing and chords and structure and lyrics, but holding it all back is an incredibly repetitive lineup. The songs all sound too much alike even though they’re all good respectively. 3/5
Deep Purple
4/5
I love this album and my own personal opinion of it is a 5/5, but I realize that this isn’t fair. The instrumentation on this record is perfect and I will die on that hill. The structure stays interesting and original. There’s nothing wrong with the lyrics or production either. These songs are all fun to listen to. They expanded on the genre, maybe not by much, but they did some experimenting and had fun with it while also making every track enjoyable. My issues are that there isn’t a ton of range here. All exciting, but not very different. I also, don’t think the vocals are on par with the playing. They’re alright, but occasionally fail to achieve the gravitas I imagine the band is going for. No huge complaints, just can’t give it a perfect score. 4/5
2/5
I don’t like live albums, but this one had a tom of energy to it, which I appreciate. The songs are fine, would have been better in the studio, but there’s nothing atrocious here. They aren’t very innovative tunes, but the band is so electric that it keeps things fun. This album is best enjoyed when thinking of it more as a time capsule to the tumultuous period of the ‘60s in which it was recorded rather than a politically charged rock album. Not the worst live album I’ve listened to, but a live album nonetheless. 2/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Michael Jackson is in the prime of his life on this album. Creating fantastic, catchy tunes, collaborating with the best in the business. Really just making whatever songs he wants and doing it very well. Unfortunately, not every song he creates goes together on one album. This is a nitpick, but Michael is a pedo and I will only do such a petty nitpick for him. This is an album of all good songs, but the songs don’t make for a cohesive album. That’s really the only complaint. I hate to say it, but everything else is spectacular. 4/5
Janis Joplin
4/5
Janis Joplin is a woman. Despite this shortcoming, she has made an incredibly electrifying album full of classics. Only complaint was a lack of range. Some songs sounded similar sometimes to some other songs, sincerely. 4/5
Buzzcocks
4/5
These guys are one of my favorite punk rock bands. They bring a wonderfully careless attitude that is perfect for the songs they write. Punk songs have never been very long and I usually attribute that to the rapid speed in which they play, but the Buzzcocks have a good range of speed going on this record that allows some breathing room in some spots while also letting you rock out in others. Not the say that the range here is perfect. The songs aren’t completely diverse, but that may be my only complaint. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of that ending on “Moving Away from Pulsebeat”, but I’m willing to overlook it for ‘artistic choices’ or whatever. also, the decision to omit “Orgasm Addict”, “What Do I Get?”, and “Oh Shit” I think is atrocious if they had them ready at the time. I love the cheeky lyrics, chords, and intentionally sloppy instrumentation. Enjoy this one as always. 4/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I like this album, all the songs are fun and catchy, even if a little repetitive. Springsteen is such an emotional vocalist and the band plays with so much passion. It’s easy to enjoy this album. 4/5
Mike Ladd
4/5
It’s very original. Feels fresh, even 20 years later. Lyrically fulfilling, rewarding beats, and solid production. I wish there had been some more exciting tracks on here to bring up the energy on the album. Not to say there’s no range, but that it didn’t quite stretch itself in a way it could have. Other than that, no complaints. 4/5
The Pogues
4/5
It’s a difficult and mostly thankless task to take a genre that’s centuries old and form into a style that’s digestible for a modern listener, but The Pogues are next to none when it comes to Irish folk music. I didn’t expect there to be much range and wasn’t shocked, but what was surprise me was how much intensity and emotion these guys put into these songs. Best enjoyed when singing and clapping along. 4/5
Madonna
2/5
I was expecting more from the so called “Queen of Pop”. This is a very underwhelming album full of forgettable tracks that blend together into a boring mess. It has wonderful production and arrangements, but everything else is just so bland, the lyrics, melodies, writing. Even the vocal performances were unimpressive. Unimpressed. 2/5
Van Morrison
4/5
Van Morrison’s best quality is his defining sound. He didn’t fade into a crowd. Most of the songs on this album are also pretty distinguishable, but there are some fumbles as well. Nothing big to complain about. The vibes on this album are immaculate and next to none, the vocals are unique, great writing and lyrics, and original sound all together. 4/5
Aerosmith
3/5
I really enjoy Aerosmith and I know this is one of their best albums, but the band really has a lot of unrealized potential. It shows on songs like Sweet Emotion where their experimentation is at its best. They are capable of great songs, but then fill the album with half baked, completely forgettable tracks. Everything else is great, I just wish the writing had a little more attention paid to it. 3/5
Calexico
3/5
This would all be great and original and fun, but it’s much too easy to tune out. The songs blend together and the soft, casual singing does nothing to lull you back in. The instrumentation is beautiful and I commend them for it, but that’s mainly it, unless we’re counting vibes which are wonderfully unique here in the best way. Nothing big to hate on either though so, all in all, a very average album. 3/5
The Offspring
4/5
This album fuckin rocks. It rocks fuckin hard. It’s so fun and doesn’t take itself seriously and it all works perfectly. Second half gets a little repetitive compared to the experimental first half. A little too comfortable. That and the production are my only two complaints. Everything else is so electrifying you can’t not enjoy unless you go in with shit in your pants. Also, the influence of this album cannot be overstated. Love it. 4/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I can't stand this album or this band. It's difficult to find any redeeming qualities here. The range is non-existent, the vocals are annoying, the songs are boring. The production wasn't atrocious, I guess. Not much else to say except that I never want to listen to this again. 2/5
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Peter is trying so hard to be artistic and stand out that he alienates his entire sound into a caricature of itself. It doesn’t come across as fun or experimental, but more like a naive art student’s pathetic imitation of a past master. The lyrics don’t stand out in any way. The attempts at originality are lackluster and embarrassingly obvious. The writing and production are fairly on par with the time. I don’t typically enjoy Mr. Gabriel and this is one of his more disappointing outings. 2/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
This album is a phenomenal example of a band going an experimental route while still staying true to their own unique sound and having it all come out perfect. One of their first albums after separating with their long time manager, and many member's father, the band felt more free to create music they were passionate about. The songs are absolutely and completely beautiful. The lyrics are gorgeous and heartbreaking at all the appropriate times. Production is incredible, instrumentation is tight, vocals and harmonies are enchanting, and the vibe is immaculate across the entire album. The instrumentals "Let's Go Away for Awhile" and "Pet Sounds" don't feel forced like instrumentals often do. They fit perfectly into the structure of the album and I have no complaints with any of it. A masterpiece. 5/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I don’t hate it, but I’m not enjoying it. The writing is fantastic as Joni’s always is, but the songs are repetitive and monotonous. Her vocals are completely inoffensive and that’s all. All very meh, to me. 3/5
4/5
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. It was both experimental and enjoyable in a way that other albums of hers had not been able to pull off. I like the whole record and it never overstayed its welcome and didn’t feel too short either. PJ feels more into her music on this project than usual which helps to convey the energy she is trying to evoke. It’s nice. 4/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
If this was just the first side, it would be an easy A from me, but, given the latter side’s decision to have over half the tracks compromised of repetitive instrumentals, I am forced to retract points that this album was entirely capable of earning. The songs themselves aren’t original to the band as they’re all covers, but they’re only the true classics in the genre. The playing and instrumentation is so tight and infectious it almost makes the instrumentals worth it. Production is surprisingly good quality and my only problem is the wacky B side on this thing. Such a strange and unfortunate decision. Cut the instrumentals and runtime and you’d have one classic of an album. 3/5
Lambchop
4/5
This is a lovely album. It’s not completely exciting or very commercial, so I can understand why I’ve never heard of it. The combination of genres really gives it a beautiful melancholy and irresistible nature. It’s a great album that I enjoyed listening to and will probably listen to again. 4/5
Crowded House
2/5
Uninteresting, uninspiring, unexciting, underwhelming, and completely unnecessary. None of this album sparks anything within me. It is completely forgettable, but not altogether unbearable. I hope not to listen to it again, but I could if I had to. 2/5
James Brown
2/5
Not a fan of live albums, but heard James Brown could really pull them off. Maybe he could in person, but it doesn’t translate on the album as some other artists are able to. It’s not the worst live album, but a live album nonetheless. 2/5
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
A intricate and complex album, both musically and thematically. The spoken word portions don’t feel forced, like they sometimes do. It feels intelligent, authentic, and exciting. The songs draw from familiar genres like jazz and the blues, but combine to create an original and unique style that I would enjoy listening to more often if this album wasn’t so hard to find. 4/5
Love
2/5
I saw that this had some poor reviews and I thought it couldn’t be that bad, but it really is a confused, disorganized, jumbled up mess. There’s heart here, but the band feels like it falling apart at the seems. Production is good, though, which would have meant it got an average rating, but the last track is just an abomination. Completely unneeded. 2/5
Wilco
4/5
The songs feel original, but not so experimental that it’s alienating. Just building on a common genre. There’s just enough range to keep you on your toes. It fun and danceable while also having slower songs. It’s a well done album. I enjoyed it the first time I listened. I enjoyed it this time. I will enjoy it again someday. 4/5
The Incredible String Band
2/5
I appreciate the sentiment of experimentation and psychedelia, although it did not pan out so pleasingly here. I liked more tracks, but they felt a little stale. Better luck next time. 2/5
Air
4/5
This is such a vibe. Whatever mood they set out to create is achieved with incredible strength. That’s Air’s biggest accomplishment, their biggest weakness is keeping the listener interested and engaged. These songs are beautiful, without a doubt, but not all are exciting. A large part of that hails from a lack of lyrics. Only one song has singing and there are two other spoken word tracks, which are able to achieve what few other artists can with spoken word. These two tracks add to the album immensely, whereas spoken word songs can sometimes bore the listener as they have no real purpose. I really like Air and this album. Wish more people knew about them. 4/5
Sigur Rós
4/5
This album was pretty good, it was beautiful and unintelligible. My main issue is that the only issue they seem to be able to write is melancholy. A complicated emotion, but they nail it. After achieving this, they don't really go anywhere. They touch other levels of energy and emotion, but can't quite seem to break away from melancholy. Not to say that it's completely repetitive, but the range could be improved upon. No complaints otherwise. 4/5
Yes
4/5
A beautiful funky album. Prog rock was never my forte, but Yes does it very well. I enjoy most of them as long as they aren’t instrumentals or too lengthy. 4/5
Bee Gees
3/5
Fun and at times even beautiful, but ultimately forgettable. Nothing here stays with you except for maybe an overall feeling of the album because all the songs blended together. None of them bad, per se, just that nothing jumps out. 3/5
Billy Bragg
2/5
This album is so unbearably British it hurts. If AI was to create the epitome of post punk brit rock; this is what it would sound like. Not to say the AI did a good job. More of a mish mash of all things the genre encapsulates. It has little redeemable qualities, but just enough to save it from getting a one star review. 2/5
Fatboy Slim
3/5
This album is good for listening to one song at a time, but altogether can get annoying. There a little range, but too little. The production is fantastic and sounds like something that could have been produced today. It’s a genuinely fun album start to finish with a couple classics, which is hard to manage in this genre. I enjoyed it, but don’t think I’ll ever listen to the whole thing again. 3/5
Laibach
1/5
Not once during this hour longer run time was I enjoying myself. If I was doing something that I regularly would enjoy, my mood was dampened by this wet blanket of an album. I thoroughly believe that this was created as an elaborate joke to annoy people. Or maybe I’m just not German enough. 1/5
Dr. Dre
4/5
This is a certified classic. Dre was always a better producer than rapper, but he does well here. I have no big complaints with this project except that it’s not very strong lyrically speaking, and that can really hurt you in hip-hop. Other than that, immaculate and always fun to run through again. 4/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Hell of a closer, huh? Can’t say they don’t have range. Dinosaur Jr. is able to easily pull off soft and intense styles that both sound unique to them and can be enjoyed. They are a quality and offensively underrated band. Not sure why they aren’t more popular. 4/5
The Isley Brothers
4/5
This is fun, beautiful soul the whole family can enjoy. The covers add something unique and the originals are instant classics. They really came into their own in this one. 4/5
Isaac Hayes
4/5
This album is everything it was going for and more. Isaac exceeded his own expectations on this one and it’s as good today as it was back when it came out. The proof is just how many samples there are of this album in modern music. It’s so good and I don’t care how long it is, it’s the pinnacle of soul and groove and all things vibing. His voice is so soothing, I just wished there was more of him singing. Everything else is phenomenal. 4/5
Marianne Faithfull
1/5
Nope. Not this. This ain't it. Has little redeemable qualities and too many irredeemable ones. Starting with her voice; I can't stand it. She is not a good singer, which sometimes works for an artist as they have a unique style. She has nothing. The instrumentation is lackluster and arrangements are completely unoriginal. I want to forget about this ill-fated road stop along my journey as fast as possible. 1/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Yet another Elvis Costello album. It was one of the better ones. Had life to it. Songs got a little repetitive and I couldn’t quite get into it, but at least he’s original and sounds unique. 3/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
There’s a push and pull to this album that goes from profound to pretentious. Depends on whether or not you’re into the style. In my opinion, though, at it’s peak, it still fails to capture my interest. The whole album feels unfocused and directionless. There are great concepts here and the songs are fun so I know there’s a lot of potential going forward, but the execution on this project leaves something to be desired. 3/5
Can
4/5
This is the type of album you listen to once or twice the whole way through, but usually only a song if you want to remind yourself of the project’s taste. The first three tracks as well as the final are understandable and digestible enough. The middle three throw the listener headlong into some of the most innovative experimental psychedelia there has ever been. These sounds are so out there, but Can finds a way to make them stick and be somewhat tolerable in a way some of their contemporaries failed. Not to say you would ever listen to “Halleluhwah”, “Augmn”, or “Peking O” by themselves, but as far as experimenting goes. Can knocked it out of the park. 4/5
Christina Aguilera
4/5
For the world of pop, although it leans heavily to R&B, this is a very ambitious album. It experiments in original ways that still keep the album enjoyable. The songs are beautiful and, it goes with saying, so is Christina’s voice. The production is impeccable. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it overstays it’s welcome, however, if one didn’t think the project was becoming repetitive on disc one, than one must have felt it on disc two. For an hour and nineteen minutes, it still makes an incredible effort in that all the songs sound fairly individual. I enjoyed it, great album. 4/5
The Specials
3/5
They sound disorganized but with a lot of heart. There are some really great aspects such as originality and instrumentation, but also bad parts like the lyrics and production. It was fun, though. 3/5
Emmylou Harris
4/5
What a beautiful cover album, except for that one she co-wrote. Her versions were mostly original, but not all were necessary. I enjoyed the album, but I can’t shake the feeling that she could do better if there was more of her own music in the mix because she has such a unique sound. Her own songs could only enhance her style. 4/5
Pentangle
3/5
Pentangle is at their best when mixing their influences with their own style. Bert Jansch’s solo work is a good example of it done right. The album is hit and miss, but all of it beautiful. I enjoyed it all, but will probably not listen to some again. 3/5
MGMT
4/5
These guys wrote most of these tracks, if not all, as a joke on the stupidity of modern pop music. Their lyrics make fun of their contemporaries by fully embracing the ridiculousness of present themes. However, instead of treating the album like the joke it was meant to be, people love it. It isn’t solely for the satirical lyrics, although they help, but also the incredible production and arrangements they’ve created on this project. Their joke was too smart. Oh well, I enjoy it. 4/5
Nanci Griffith
3/5
A nice relaxing country-bluegrass excursion. Beautiful voice, simply, but elegant songwriting, and complementary instrumentation. It isn’t an exciting album, but enjoyable, nonetheless. 3/5
Soft Machine
2/5
Fuck this. I hate when the artist has no damn respect for the listener to make their music even a little enjoyable. There are so few bits to latch on to in this project that they may as well not exist entirely. There are barely any enjoyable aspects to this whole album. 2/5
Paul McCartney
4/5
This is a beautiful collection of strange mismatched songs that are held together by the fact they are all odd ducks. The songwriting feels easy, fun, and effortless while still remaining elegant. It’s really a great album, but there isn’t too much substance; some, but not enough for a fiver. 4/5
Daft Punk
3/5
The production is top tier and I have to respect that, even though I usually don’t care about it. For a debut album, it’s fairly good. It’s clear they’re still finding their footing, but they also have a defined and unique style that will stay with them for all albums. My biggest complaints are that both the lyrics and beats are too repetitive. Also, I, personally, am not a huge of instrumentals, but Daft Punk does it best. 3/5
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Not a single song under 4 minutes. You can't convince me that these don't start to drag. The vibes here are out of this world and I could groove to it all day. Production could be better. It's just good, simply. 3/5
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Beautiful bunches of ballads. ANOHNI has such a unique voice that it immediately sets them apart from other artists, which is a big asset. The production and instrumentation is perfect and the arrangements and lyrics are wonderfully original. There’s a good amount of range on this thing too, which is impressive because I’ve not listened to much of their music before so their ability to set each song apart is truly admirable. I only wish there was some more exciting tracks to remember off this, although, I enjoyed every minute of it. 4/5
George Harrison
4/5
Isn’t it a pity how long this is? He could have made a beautiful and perfect single disc album if he’d focused on perfecting his better songs rather than including two versions of Isn’t a Pity. All of it was enjoyable and gets a high score, but just not as high as it could have been if the project had been more focused. Loved it as always. 4/5
PJ Harvey
2/5
The first two songs were fine, but then started this unbearable wailing on “Legs” that is more statement than enjoyable, digestible music. It was legitimately a challenge to not turn off. This trend continues for the rest of the album. PJ seems more with concerned with expressing her views than anything else. She’d sacrifice any aspect of pleasure you’d derive from listening to promote her eccentricities. I didn’t like the album, but it was well produced, written, and (probably) exactly what Harvey set out to create. 2/5
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
These songs mostly blend together through the swampy guitar chords and drums mixed with the purposefully off-tone guitar licks and wailing off the vocalist. Mixed together it makes for a great song, but lay all of them out together and they’re hard to tell apart. An enjoyable album, but could have used some more range. Only complaint. 4/5
The Who
5/5
A perfect concept album and, possibly, the best rock opera. Experimental musical ideas combined with an interesting story that is relative to all time periods all while having wide range and enjoyable songs. I admit that it takes a couple listens to fully appreciate, but it is well worth it. Only real complaint would be sometimes the vocals aren’t exactly pitch perfect, but I do not care. Love this thing. 5/5
David Bowie
5/5
I remember when this came out thinking that it was incredible that David Bowie was still making groundbreaking music at almost 70 years old. One of his finest albums and released only 2 days before he died. Makes it hit a little more and the album already hits hard on its own with its grand instrumentation and arrangements. This project is just as experimental, if not more, than something he would have made in the 70s. The production is fantastic and I’m always pleasantly surprised at how well Bowie can sing in his late sixties. There isn’t one component I have an issue with on this album. It’s truly beautiful. 5/5
The Fall
2/5
This album sounds as though a good song was being done on karaoke by an atrocious and drunk singer. The production isn’t stellar, but the instrumentation and arrangements are fine. Didn’t hate them, but I did and do hate whatever style you’d call the vocals. Not fun. 2/5
Dirty Projectors
4/5
I am pleasantly surprised by how good an album by a band I’ve never heard of is. It feels original, unique, experimental, and fun, but, for some reason that I can’t explain, fails to excite me. There is no spark to it, at least not for me. Not to say I don’t like it. I really enjoyed it and hope to hear it again, but I may not remember it is all. 4/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Tom Petty got lucky with having a naturally unique voice so he didn’t need to do too much to distinguish himself from other artists of his day, he just naturally stood out. However, he does have a style which hasn’t quite been formed yet on his debut album, although, you can hear hints of it throughout the project. I enjoy all the songs and there are a couple bops on it. I have no big complaints, but his deep cuts can get pretty bland on this one. 4/5
David Gray
3/5
Some interesting concepts here, but they can’t make up for an overall snooze fest. It isn’t that bad, but it is difficult to remain excited. A vibe of relaxation is fine, but if you stretch it out over the entire album, you might put your listeners to sleep. Production, instrumentation, arrangements, vocals, and lyrics are all good. Enjoyed it, only wished there was more energy here. 3/5
Everything But The Girl
3/5
These vocals can get monotonous after a while. All their albums have the same problem of being repetitive and unexciting. I’ve given them enough chances and they always fail to wow me, which is disappointing because they are good, but won’t experiment. 3/5
Kid Rock
2/5
At the time of writing this (Oct ‘23), this sits at the fifth lowest rated album on this website. There are definitely things holding this album back, like Mr. Rock’s weak bars, flow, rhythm, etc, but the production is actually decent. Also, it’s strange, but he, for some reason, is able to write really good hooks and choruses while everything else falls apart. Rap is not his forte, but I think he would really shine in other genres. That would be true if not for the lyrics on the verses. A lot of them are very problematic and downright disrespectful to the point where listening to the song makes me feel like I’m a bad person. On top of that there’s weird choices made with the arrangement of the album, like the decision to make it over an hour instead of cutting the weaker tracks and focusing on his stronger songs, or the additional 4 minutes to the closer, which should not have been the finale (or even on the album), which is basically an entire song which we all heard earlier in the listing. I could go on, but I’ll close with my opinion that Kid Rock had a lot of potential here and very effectively squandered it. Shame. 2/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
The range, production, chemistry, instrumentation, arrangements, vocals, lyrics are all amazing and I have no complaints. They really got everything right on this one. Nothing more to say. 5/5
Culture Club
2/5
“Karma Chameleon” was the perfect amount of fun, 80s, pep and they got the formula just right on that song. Unfortunately after this, every song lacks some aspect in one way or another which leads to an incredibly boring, lackluster, and forgettable album. Uninspiring music from the eighties and nothing else. 2/5
The Jam
3/5
The production sucks, the songs are repetitive, lyrics are alright (nothing to write home about). Ultimately, the whole project feels messy and disorganized. It's got heart, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee quality. I enjoyed it though. 3/5
Tom Waits
3/5
Sounds like if a werewolf in a kids movie had their own song. As a joke though because it’s so hard to take these vocals seriously with his 1,000-packs-of-cigarettes-a-day voice. It works best when he sings of moe deplorable activities with harsher instrumentals. Lyrics are good, he is a great poet, if you can understand them. Production leaves something to be desired, but instrumentation, arrangements, and structure are all good. The highs here are high, but the lows here are low. Not the average ‘average’ rating. 3/5
Lou Reed
5/5
I think this could be a perfect album. I can't think of anything wrong with it. I always enjoy it start to finish. The lyrics are fun and engaging, the vocals are unique, the arrangements are original. It's just a blast. Love it. 5/5
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
This was fun. Not entirely original or exciting, but I enjoyed myself. They have room to improve, however, I do think they have promise. Had, I suppose, since we know nothing became of these fellas. 3/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
This was nice. The 20 minute first track was kind enough to not feel that long and pretty much justified its length. While I didn’t grow tired of it, I didn’t get too much excitement out of it either. There were bits of inspiration scattered throughout the whole record, however, it could have used a more focused execution. 3/5
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I’ve never been all that impressed with Franz Ferdinand. There are interesting points on the album, but the whole thing feels relatively small; as if there’s not much going on. It’s fun, yet repetitive. The vocals get old and the instrumentation doesn’t change up enough to distinguish the songs from themselves. Oh well. 3/5
KISS
4/5
This album’s a rocker. A lotta fun. Just downright enjoyable. 4/5
Big Black
2/5
To say that this is just noise means that the distortion is so overwhelming that no other aspect of the music can be enjoyed, which is a shame because its, otherwise, very good. 2/5
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Not all too exciting, but an enjoyable listen with a couple bops thrown in. Could have been better, but I’ve heard worse. 3/5
Keith Jarrett
4/5
I love this album. There’s so much emotion in it. You can hear him going where the piano leads him. Also, that is an exquisite sounding piano. This album accomplishes everything you’d hope. It, first and foremost, entertains, as it is undoubtedly enjoyable. Secondly, you have the technical stuff, like production, arrangement, instrumentation, and structure, which are all fantastic. Lastly, it makes you think as all good albums should. Makes me wonder if music is any less of an art if it’s created on the spot instead of being composed beforehand. In this case, I don’t know how Keith could have done any better except for maybe having a little more time to create bits that spread the album out a little more so there’s more versatility and range. Otherwise perfect in my book. 4/5
Röyksopp
2/5
Each song had a potential to be good in its own, unique, way, but they squandered it at every turn with a relentless effort to keep it boring. A lot of potential. Also, bad production. 2/5
The xx
4/5
I like this. It feels new and experimental and fun. Very cool. Shame they only have three albums, currently. 4/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Joni focuses more on her lyrics than she does production, which makes for an incredible story, but sometimes a lackluster presentation. all good songs and an enjoyable album but it could’ve been more exciting. 4/5
Mj Cole
2/5
Not a fan, my least favorite genre. Some redeemable qualities, but for the most part repetitively annoying with no memorability. 2/5
Stephen Stills
3/5
Manassas? More like molasses. It’s not that bad, the songs are fun and I like them, but I’d be impressed if over an hour of anything didn’t start to drone. 3/5
Kelela
3/5
Music for the people. Truly unproblematic in any way, which is another way of saying that it makes little to no statements. It's fun music, possibly a tad repetitive. I enjoyed it and have no big complaints. 3/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
This is great, love the vibes. Experimental, fun, unique, original. Wonderful time was had by all. 4/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Hey Bill, wanna take a break from the slow, sad ballads and do something exciting? No? Fine, just go back to singing like your seconds away from eating the shotgun. 3/5
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
This is nice, but feels messy in some parts. It’s such a mood and I enjoyed it, but I understand why it wouldn’t be for everyone. 4/5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Holy shit this feels so fucking dated, it’s incredible. Trying desperately to promote this new sound, but I just can’t take it seriously. I’m not saying it isn’t unique and original, but given what became of the genre, it’s hard to listen to seriously. 3/5
Neu!
2/5
I didn’t mind it as much as I thought I would when I read it was Electronic, but it was so inoffensive that it failed to push any boundaries. Entertaining and enjoyable in some parts, bland in the rest. 2/5
Judas Priest
3/5
These guys sound like they’re more interested in being rock stars than actually making good music. This selection is so uninspired and derivative that it begs the question, why make an album at all? The production is good and so is the playing, therefore, whatever. 3/5
The Saints
3/5
They sound like a punkier Velvet Underground. Not quite defining their own style, so it’s not entirely original, but they’re all enjoyable, fun songs if you don’t think about it too much. 3/5
Van Halen
4/5
Every song on this album is an absolute bop and I will fight anyone who says otherwise (except the intro title track, excusable). This album shows growth and experimentation in the band while also remaining true to their style and having fun. It isn’t the most profound or deepest album, but I always enjoy listening to it and find no flaws in it. 4/5
Van Morrison
4/5
What a vibe, lovely stuff here. He’s got a unique voice that helps him define his own sound, but is also original in his arrangements and style. Beautiful lyrics as well, though there isn’t much range throughout this project. Still love it. 4/5
Guided By Voices
2/5
Usually this is about long songs, but for this album, the songs don’t justify their length. You have no time to become invested in these songs before they end. The songs also, simply, aren’t that great. They’re good and fun, enough to listen to a couple without getting annoyed or bored, but not after almost thirty of them. Swing and a miss. 2/5
Christine and the Queens
3/5
In terms of being able to tune this album out, it is next to none. Technically speaking, the project is phenomenal. The production is impeccable and hits hard. The tracks are each solid in their own right as well as most of the lyrics, but it still fails to excite or, at least, stay exciting. 3/5
The Band
4/5
People really love this album and I’ve never gotten why. I like this album, probably my favorite album by them, but I don’t understand why some people act as if it’s this special creation that belongs with “the greats”. It’s a good album, that’s all. It has a couple flaws here and there, but overall, good. 4/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
I know this is his second album, but it feels like a debut. He’s still finding his sound, style, and groove. Personally, I don’t believe he ever did find it, but, if he did, it certainly wasn’t on this record. It feels choppy and dashed together. Lyrics are weird and jumbled and don’t flow properly. The range and instrumentation is good. So are the vocals, I suppose, if that’s what you’re into. It’s fun at best and boring at worst. Nothing exciting here, but I enjoyed most of it. 3/5
Randy Newman
2/5
Good songs and range, but I am uninterested in his depiction of southerners. 2/5
Miles Davis
5/5
Love this album. Could listen to it anytime. Possibly the best jazz album from arguably the best jazz musician. Some people can’t appreciate jazz and that’s a damn shame because they miss out on classics like this. This album is so entirely what it set out to be. The soul of a lonely person pours out of the speakers beautifully every time. Hope that made sense. 5/5
Kanye West
4/5
I enjoyed this album, though it was a tad long. Some songs weren’t necessary and/or overstayed their welcome, namely; Workout Plan and Last Call exemplify this best. Other than that, a wonderful and introspective album about the psychology of rap artists and what really matters (not those FUCKING DEGREES). Production is impeccable and lyrically this is one of Kanye’s best albums. No huge complaints, although it definitely could have been better. 4/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I feel like this could have definitely been more exciting. It was fun start to finish, but only some of it was memorable. You only got one song with any staying power. Otherwise wonderful. 3/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This could possibly be my favorite Stones record. Not a single skip and several powerhouse tracks. Great vocals and instrumentation from the usual suspects, but also stellar guest appearances all throughout the record. Lyrically, they might be at their best here, as well. There’s solid range and I, frankly, have not a bad thing to say about it. This album can cream all over me any day. 5/5
Kanye West
4/5
His ego is at its height here, and that’s saying something. His decision to go for a more industrial style on this album is respectful, and done very tastefully and also brought a lot of light to one of hip-hop’s most underrated sub-genres. The production is obviously immaculate. Lyrics are funny, mostly in the laughable sense. Some solid bops. Definitely enjoyed it. 4/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
There was no need to put this album on this list. Almost no reason to make the album in the first place. I’m sure it was a fun concert to be at, but if you asked the attendees if they thought that concert was to go down in history as one of the best of all time, they’d probably say, “Meh. Was alright, but nothing special.” if they were being honest with themselves. It was alright but barely escapes getting a one. 2/5
Queen Latifah
3/5
This is her debut album and it feels like it. Not just for her, but for rap as a genre. The lyrics are mostly great, but the flow is so incredibly slow that it’s almost comical. Production and samples are great as well, but there isn’t anything to really get excited for. High highs and low lows for me. 3/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
This album both excited and disappointed me. The production was fantastic and there were some unique and original bits in here, but then you have some pieces that don’t fit or let you down in some way. The covers, namely, are some of the most confusing choices on this project. They could have had a more focused, and therefore more concise, album had they done away with those fruitless endeavors which add nothing to the album or the original. I enjoyed some of the songs, but not enough to want to listen to this again. It was alright. 3/5
The Adverts
3/5
Not as punky as would have been cool. Should have traded some of the pop for the punk. And was just a tad short. Overall, I don’t see myself as being able to remember this album a month from now. Although, I did enjoy it. Very middle of the road and inoffensive. 3/5
The La's
4/5
They sound like the Smiths, but better. Less melodramatic and more fun to listen to. They aren’t doing anything groundbreaking, but they have a distinct sound that makes them unique. Good structure, production, and arrangement. The vocals and instrumentation work well with the vibe of the album. This is a nice album I’ve never heard of. 4/5
Khaled
2/5
One of the reasons this list/website is cool is because you get to learn about albums that aren’t so well known. However, there comes a point where it becomes so difficult to find any version of the album that you wonder if maybe there’s a reason for that. Hidden gems aren’t hidden this well. I enjoyed the album. It wasn’t good, really. Whatever, I’m tired. 2/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
He's trying too hard to be weird without actually having anything new to say. He adds nothing new to any of the genres he attempts, but it isn't entirely unlistenable. I can get down with some of this stuff, especially, I think the lyrics are quite clearly thought out and introspective to their respective time period. There is something calmly hypnotizing about the whole thing and I can't figure out if it's genius or stupid. Overall, I'd say something intentionally confusing to disturb the audience. Fast and bulbous! 3/5
Adam & The Ants
1/5
Any attempt at charismatic music making was a huge swing and a miss. The whole thing comes across as entirely arrogant for some reason. This was a goddamn pain to listen to. Sometimes people express regrets before they die and maybe I will have some when my time comes, but at the very least, I’ll be able to confidently and proudly declare that I didn’t make this. Nor did I have any positive feelings towards it. 1/5
The Smiths
3/5
The Smiths are so goddamn melodramatic. I can’t handle it. A strong vibe, and a good one too, if you’re into it. The instrumentation, lyrics , production, and singing are all great, but I personally don’t find these guys very enjoyable. 3/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This album is incredible. Stevie had a phenomenal five album streak. Each one I’d give a perfect score from Talking Book to Songs in the Key of Life. The lyrics are incredible and the chords are so visionary and original while also remaining familiar and not a challenge to listen to whatsoever. Especially considering how out there some of these rhythms and progressions are. The vocals and instrumentation are obviously impeccable. I have nothing bad to say about this album. 5/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I can’t stand post punk. It’s stupid melodramatic, self-absorbed, pretentious, annoying vocals. The lackluster, unoriginal, basic, monotonous instrumentation and chords. I find nothing appealing about this genre. This album is fine, but definitely not for me, although, I’ll admit, this particular brit pop/post punk album is more bearable than most and downright ALMOST enjoyable. 3/5
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
This was my favorite era of rap. These guys and De La Soul have the best vibes. The production is phenomenal, the lyrics are possibly the best thing about the album. They’re intriguing, unique, introspective, and only ever add to the whole of the project. Never take away. Equally as good as the lyrics are the beats. The mix of genres is seamless and beautiful. Everything comes together perfectly. I have no complaints and never had. 5/5
The Kinks
4/5
A lot of fun this one. Kinks always are. Nothing incredibly revolutionary about this, but it’s original, unique, has good production, lyrics, vocals, and I enjoyed it. 4/5
The Blue Nile
2/5
Boring. Unimpressed. Snooze fest. Disappointing. I’d hate to be one of these guys moms and have to pretend like I liked their music. 2/5
Gene Clark
4/5
I really enjoyed this album and it’s mix of various genres. It hit the spot for me. The only thing holding it back, for me, is its lack of excitement and hit-worthy songs. Nothing really catchy here, but I did like all of it a lot. 4/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
I’ve made fun of 80s rappers previously for having that goofy, old school flow, but the Beastie Boys have such a distinct and unique sound (make no mistake, they still sound goody as fuck) that they can’t help but stand out against others. The production is surprisingly good for the time as well as only being their second album. The experimentation here is really what makes this album though. No hip-hop album would have this weird half rap half easy going psychedelic experimental sound for decades. Not to say there isn’t anything holding this album back. The lyrics and original vision seem a little unfocused, but ultimately it doesn’t take away too much from the experience. 4/5
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Kinda dull in my opinion, but ultimately inoffensive. I just don’t have a lot to say and I’ll most likely end up forgetting it. 3/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I enjoyed this album a lot more than I anticipated. Going off album cover alone, it looks like some whiny brit pop shit we’ve heard too many times at this point. What we actually get is a fun and semi-original album that’s reasonably unique. I have no great praises for this thing, but I have no complaints either. It had emotion and heart to it, so that’s worth something. 4/5
Hole
4/5
This is fun for a second, then pretty boring, then fun again. Rarely hits the feels in any significant way, but I can get behind most of it. Feels cool. 4/5
Klaxons
3/5
I love how experimental this feels, especially for 2007. This feels like the breaking of a moldy mold. The album could enjoyed both in the 60s psychedelic era as well as today. It has a timeless quality to it. UNFORTUNATELY, (big unfortunate here) all of the projects wonderful experimental work don’t save the album from just being a little dull. There’s nothing to really latch on to, except 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 Magick. No takeaway. Big shame. Also, fuck that album cover. 3/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Mr. Cohen is one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. Probably Top 10. The songs are all beautiful and keep me interested. Love the all of it. Wish there was some more excitement to it, but I’ll take what I can get. 4/5
Carole King
5/5
Not a dull moment on this album. Incredible writing, singing, instrumentation, production, arrangements. My only complaint is that they closed this powerhouse of an album out with a cover instead of the title track. What’s that about? Just swap ‘em. Otherwise, no complaints. Love it more each time I listen. 5/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This is the most deplorable, disgraceful, and depraved collection of songs I think I may have ever heard. It’s beautiful. The album thrives in the gutters of life. I wish it was just a little more exciting and that he took a little more time with the writing, but I’m fine with everything else. 3/5
The Birthday Party
1/5
They should be ashamed to put Ed Roth’s work on this album. This album feels like there was no effort put forth from anyone present. Getting through was a pain and I sincerely hated the sound of the all of it. 1/5
Common
4/5
What a pleasantly surprisingly delightful album. With a little more focus on the overall direction of the project, they could have really had a powerhouse of an album here. I enjoyed the whole thing and have no complaints with any song. Spectacular. 4/5
2Pac
4/5
A stellar album. It doesn’t pop as much as I’d hope. Getting shot and being so close to death would make me think that you’d come back with unmatched energy and, while Pac’s energy is high, it doesn’t quite reach a 5. Though I can't fault anything else here. I enjoyed more than I thought I would. 4/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Some of Aretha’s best work and all on one album. A real powerhouse. The writing, production, and instrumentation are all incredible. Above all else, Aretha’s voice carries this album to another level. Can’t get enough of it. 5/5
Talvin Singh
2/5
The production was satisfyingly well done and most of the beats were pretty catchy, but after an hour, it starts to get tedious. In addition, starting your hour long album off with an eleven minute track is like starting off a marathon in peanut butter. Overall, not my cup of tea. 2/5
Parliament
4/5
If funk ye be looking for, look no further. They hit it right on the head here. Fun and full of life. Would have enjoyed a little more range throughout, but ultimately satisfied. 4/5
The Temptations
4/5
The times said to change and the Temptations got the memo. While it still sounds like your classic Temptations album, they’ve updated their style without sacrificing anything that made them special originally. Every track is enjoyable even if they do start to blend together. I don’t care, I’m having fun. 4/5
The Damned
4/5
These guys have a heavy and powerful energy to them that is one to be reckoned with. It’s a shame they aren’t as well known as some of their contemporaries like the Clash or Sex Pistols. The Damned have an excellent catalog that is rarely talked about. There’s range on this album. Fantastic vocals and instrumentation. The writing is good and there’s even a healthy amount of experimentation. The production could have been cleaner, but I’m not really concerned with that as it could be boiled down to a stylistic choice about wanting a dirtier sound. There isn’t any one big thing keeping this from a perfect score, but many little things. If the sloppy production was my only complaint, it’d probably get a five star review, but there’s a couple other minor things that hold it back, like some riffs are a bit too similar or the mostly unfocused structure. Love this album though. 4/5
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Possibly the best debut ever made by any artist. Not one of these songs misses, most of them are stone cold bops, and at least four certified classics. Every member was on point, the energy was there. It feels unique and original. I have not a one complaint. iiii]; )' Love it always. 5/5
Dire Straits
4/5
Apart from Sultans of Swing, the whole album feels a little slow and bland. There’s technically nothing bad I can say about it. The instrumentation and vocals are there. So are the harmonies and some experimentation as well. They have a unique sound and it’s a great album, it just feels like I’m in a sleepy high the whole time. 4/5
CHVRCHES
3/5
This sounds like it would have been really popular in 2013, but has not aged well. These fake deeps lyrics and melodramatic synth sounds just don’t do it for me. It has its place and it isn’t awful. I think this singer sounds like a child. Also, it doesn’t even reach 50 minutes, but it still feels so long. 3/5
Van Morrison
1/5
Fuck this live album shit. It isn’t good, not better than the original at least. He picks from his best songs and still falls short. The production is shotty and he often goes too far from the mic and his vocals cut out. Mainly though, he does this thing when singing a line where he waits until the last second to say the line and it absolutely ruins all of the soul in these beautiful songs he’s covering (also his own). I genuinely had to pause the album after “Bring It On Home to Me” and listen to the original. I can say he brings a unique energy that is sometimes infectious, but for the most part, sloppy and unbearable. Sorry Van, but you’re better than this. 1/5
The Cure
3/5
This isn’t The Cure’s best work, in my opinion. It was a good transition album into their more experimental stuff. It was certainly experimental enough, but they hadn’t yet perfected the art of also making the songs listenable. They’re not atrocious by any means, but the whole thing can get tedious after a while. I can enjoy it if I force myself to, but I shouldn’t need to do that. 3/5
Janet Jackson
3/5
This album feels dated, though it has a lot of heart. I’m sure this is s great album for someone else, but for me, it’s kinda meh. Nothing particularly exciting about it. 3/5
Germs
2/5
Not a big fan of this. It’s a bit too rebellious I’m afraid. They don’t care about anyone or anything and it seems like that includes their quality of music. If they had focused their efforts a little more, they could have really done something great. 2/5
Def Leppard
2/5
Let’s get this over with. Pyromania is the most generic 80s pop rock hair metal band you can get. I firmly believe they are all talented musicians, but they are making awful music. The production is alright, but the writing is atrocious, the songs go on way too long, the vocals are obnoxious in a way only a coked out frat boy from the 80s could enjoy, and there is little to no range on this project and it all blends together. It’d be difficult to try and tell these songs apart. On the positive, though, they have a unique and immediately identifiable sound. However, this just makes it more easier and quicker to change the channel when I hear them come on. In a word: obnoxious. 2/5
Anita Baker
3/5
Anita has a beautiful and multifaceted voice, but the boring, elevator music style production really holds this album back. I listened with my mom and she liked every other song. Some choruses slapped and some were dull. They really blended together, but it is a vibe if you’re in the mood for it. 3/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
This sounds like video game music, and not even good video game music. There are vocals this time, which is a nice touch, but it’s so boring and every song overstays its welcome. I understand that it’s pretty experimental and original for its time. By no means is it not unique, but I can’t stomach this scheisse. Production is phenomenal though. 2/5
David Bowie
4/5
I really enjoyed the start of this, but by the end I was starting to get very bored. It was fantastic and a vibe all the way through, but only side one brought excitement. It’s not for me, but I still understand it’s a great project. 4/5
Frank Ocean
4/5
Incredibly sensational. Production is amazing. I have genuinely no complaints, although I find that the album doesn’t stick with me as much as I’d hope. A really beautiful project. 4/5
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
There’s a lot going on here. Perhaps, too much. Perhaps. I like this a lot, though. Mellow while still being a jam. Very nice. Instrumentally speaking I have no issues. As well as with the vocals, production, and writing. The issue is that it seems unfocused on the sound they wanted. Not a big complaint, but it could have used some more range as well. 3/5
Baaba Maal
3/5
To be honest, I’m not that impressed. I can jam to this for the most part, but it’s not all too innovative. Lots of rehashing here. Production is not top tier either. Nothing atrocious about it, but certainly nothing to write home about. 3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Instrumentally, it doesn’t quite get any more hardcore than this. Ozzy’s vocals fit in perfectly with the hard hitting drums, steady bass, and electrifying guitar. Everything meshes perfectly here and you have top tier talent in every facet. My problem is that with almost a forty minute run time made up of just five songs, you’re getting tracks that are unjustifiably long. They’re all epic, no doubt, but they could have toned it down just a notch with the guitar solos. 4/5
The Thrills
3/5
This album has an easy going nice vibe to it, but it isn’t particularly exciting. Neither is it instrumentally that impressive. I have no big qualms with it, but they do all blend together. It’s a whatever album. 3/5
Slade
1/5
There isn’t enough in this review about how bad these guys are. I was only a couple songs in when I realized I was getting nothing creatively. The production is poor and completely uninteresting. The instrumentation is alright, but derivative and the writing is so fucking atrocious. I don’t feel I need to explain. “The whole world’s goin’ crazee. Crazee crazee crazee crazee crazee.” The fuck? Not to mention they use the same hokey trop of spelling “crazy” as “crazee” twice on this project like they were really trying to get something going. Every song blends together and sounds like a boring version of every other glam rock artist out there at the time. “The Sweet”, “Rod Stewart”, “Mott the Hoople”, etc. Also the two covers on this record are insulting. I have no respect for this thing. Sorry. 1/5
Steely Dan
4/5
This album shows enough range and experimentation. I enjoyed it enough to listen again. The production is phantastic and I have no complaints with any of the instrumentation. The only thing keeping it from a perfect score is that it doesn’t quite excite or inspire. More of a thinker, which isn’t a problem unless it’s for the whole album. Also, Donald Fagen sings like he’s doing an impression of someone who is really straining to hit the notes, but Donald makes the strain sound easy if any of that makes sense. 4/5
The Divine Comedy
4/5
This chode is unashamedly goofy and I don’t mind that part one bit. I love that he acts as he truly is. He really rides that fine line between charm and pretentiousness incredibly well. The arrangements are nice and the lyrics are funny, while also being introspective. Vocals are good and I can’t complain about the production either. This is a fun listen and I’d love to give it a perfect score, but it doesn’t quite excite me like a five out of five should and some songs sound a tad too similar. Also, it does just overstay it’s welcome a bit. Just a tad. I still really enjoy it. 4/5
New York Dolls
3/5
This is fun to listen to. Not much substance or anything to really take away, but I enjoyed it enough. 3/5
Santana
5/5
This album covers a wide range of genres while always keeping a consistent focus on Santana’s style. From funk to jazz to rock and psychedelia, Carlos manages to perfectly execute each song. I have no complaints with any of it. 5/5
David Bowie
5/5
Love this album. It sounds perfectly. The ten minute intro doesn’t overstay its welcome, somehow. “Golden Years” gives it enough range to tide over the rest of the album, though the rest is equally as unique. All the while, however, remaining consistent with the overall sound. It’s experimental in all of the best ways. Writing is immaculate, David’s singing is, obviously, terrific, instrumentation is spot on, and the production is fantastic. One of my favorite albums by one of my favorite artists. 5/5
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
This is not a good album. It has soul and I’ll give it points for that, but it would appear that Mr. Flash and his five associates are all one trick ponies. It’s not even a very good trick. This genre that he’s performing, whatever you’d call it, doesn’t quite have the flow and witty lyricism to keep it interesting like later hip-hop would, but it also doesn’t have the groove and funk of earlier R&B. Which means that the whole thing feels disjointed and as if they don’t know what they’re going for. It has some range, but nothing to really latch on to. I do, however, enjoy the backing beats. Wish I could like this more. 2/5
William Orbit
2/5
I just really never want to have to think about this album ever again. 2/5
AC/DC
4/5
The biggest asset of AC/DC is Angus Young’s uncanny ability to create an infinite number of incredibly catchy riffs. A close second is Bon Scott’s rough and eternally energized voice. I love the backing vocals provided by Malcolm and Cliff’s funky bass lines and even Phil’s drums, simple as they are. They get the job done, and do it well. Every one of these band members is playing together perfectly. They aren’t doing anything very experimental or out there and it leaves them room to sync together. When Angus goes off on his solos, they feel cemented in the song and not just like and add on. I love this album and always have and always will. I don’t believe the writing is quite on par with some of their contemporaries and I think they’re really only comfortable on one speed. I’d have liked to see them turn down their pace a little more often like the did on “Ride On” off “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” and even “Night Prowler” off this project. That added bit of range would have really propelled their image as one of more than just a horny rock band playing fast music. I enjoy Highway to Hell. 4/5
Thin Lizzy
2/5
Live album bad. Although, I will say, this one had an infectious energy that I can’t hate. 2/5
Queen
3/5
Honestly, I got bored. 3/5
Joan Baez
4/5
She has a gorgeous voice. The instrumentation is simple, yet beautiful. There is no fat on this album. Only what needs to be, is here. This memorable trait of the project is also what leads to its biggest flaw. The album never gets particularly exciting. It keeps a, believe me, lovely, but stagnant pace throughout. I don’t mind a single song on the album. I love this thing entirely. It simply doesn’t inspire. 4/5
The Doors
4/5
This is a fun album. I really enjoy it. Instrumentation and vocals are obviously excellent. Experimentation is in good quantity and quality. Aside from “Roadhouse Blues”, however, there aren’t any stand-out tracks that make the project too memorable like there are on their debut album or the album after this one. A good amount of range though, emotionally, but most lack the energy to really excite. 4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This could be fun and serious when it needed to be, but never really exciting. Definitely enjoyable. 4/5
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I really liked it. I haven’t seen the movie, but I think watching it would only make the album that much more enjoyable. Instrumentation is beautiful, especially the instrumentals. Mr. Mayfield’s voice is obviously as charming as ever. I wish the tracks didn’t all sound so similar and there were some to spice things up, but all in all, an excellent album and a pretty perfect soundtrack. 4/5
American Music Club
3/5
I must say, I don’t think you’re able to get more average. 3/5
Patti Smith
5/5
This is incredible. I’ve never felt so positive about an album I’ve never heard. Usually, I’d need to listen to an artist for a little bit to distinguish songs from each other. For the most part, if you’re unfamiliar with an artist, it can be hard to tell songs apart at first. This project has so much range, it’s insane. I’ve also never heard so much inspiration coming from one album before. I can hear her influence in every song. So many great modern musicians are taking elements from Patti’s style. The writing is amazing. The vocals are just what is needed for every track. The instrumentation is impeccable. The production is perfect. It’s exciting from start to finish. Even during the near ten minute penultimate track maintains its energy throughout and kept me interested. I’m ashamed I never stopped to listen to this earlier. It is truly a masterpiece and I find nothing wrong with it. 5/5
The Darkness
1/5
The band has the potential to make really good backing tracks. The singer shouldn’t open his mouth. Production is atrocious. Writing isn’t anything special. There’s nothing here to excite. Deeply disappointed and cannot find a single redeeming quality. Completely forgettable. 1/5
Air
4/5
Oh yeah! This fucking slaps. It’s exciting, original, unique and the production is fantastic. Not every track inspires or is incredibly different, but it’s still very fun. 4/5
Talking Heads
3/5
Technically speaking, these Talking Heads are good, I know this. However, any time I have to listen to one of their albums, I groan. They really aren’t my speed or style. Some of these tracks are bearable, but a lot are just annoying. Whatever. 3/5
The Icarus Line
3/5
Some of this was cool, some was annoying. Ultimately, I’ll probably forget about it. 3/5
Fishbone
3/5
Honestly, I got bored, but it’s whatever, ya know? 3/5
The Zutons
3/5
I thought this was the perfect amount of weird, funky choices to pique my interest. These songs never got very exciting, but there isn’t anything wrong with them either. The album sounds like an alien planet’s (Zuton?) second most popular band. I really enjoyed it. 3/5
Tom Waits
3/5
Tom’s got a strong base of a album with deep lyrics complimented by a stable backing track. However, the constants of the instrumentation such as drums and bass, or whatever he’s using, is drowned and muddied out by all of the noise he chose to put in over top. Not only is there too much of it to appreciate the actual structure of the album, but you can barely hear it over all the noise. As for his lyrics, they’re fantastic as always, but I only know that because I had to look them up seeing as his voice makes almost every track unintelligible. Point being; a great album is only great if you can hear its greatness. 3/5
SZA
5/5
Personally, I believe R&B was on the decline and SZA went so fucking hard on bring it back. This album is as iconic on the first listen as it will be on my last. Vocals are beautiful. Instrumentation is the perfect amount of experimental. Lyrics are exactly what’s needed. Nothing to not like here. 5/5
Rush
4/5
This is great, truly. However, I always thought Rush was overrated. Geddy’s voice is annoying and Neil Peart is always claimed as the greatest drummer of all time, though he’s surrounded, encased, encapsulated, by a ginormous drum kit. They’re all very talented people, don’t get the wrong idea. And these songs are all innovative. Just not for me. 4/5
Fugees
5/5
This album is an absolute unit. The members and songs are justly well known. The lyrics are sensational, as well as the production. The whole thing has so much in your face class. It accomplishes everything it sets out to do so well. Just fucking lovely. 5/5
Doves
3/5
I'm not really impressed, but I’m not disappointed. Had fun and all, but don’t think I’ll be able to recall any of these songs except for vibe a month from now. 3/5
De La Soul
4/5
I really love this album, it’s fantastic and full of references that keep the project interesting. De La Soul has a unique sound that set them apart from the rest. The intro is a great introduction to what the album will bring as well as a great introduction to the group themselves. This has a star taken off solely for the track “De La Orgee”. The fuck was that. A song would have an incredibly hard time annoying me as much as that one did. Fucking hell I hate that song. Rest of the album was perfection. 4/5
Ozomatli
4/5
This is a fun album I’ve never heard of. Incredibly, wildly, and comically inconsistent in style, but always consistent and quality. 4/5
OutKast
4/5
An incredibly well crafted album in every regard. Lyrics, production, writing. Every part goes so hard. I really enjoyed it. Have a hard time finding anything bad to say. A tad long and lackluster structure (comparatively), but I believe they achieved what they set out to do and that’s just swell. 4/5
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
“Hey [artist] I finished the backing tracks for the songs”
“Cool, sounds good we’ll just send it out as is”
“But, it’s all instrumentals and way too long”
“Trust me”
2/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Is it unfair to say that this is their magnum opus. A double album with no misses is hard to pull off. There are some songs better than others, but not a single one is bad. Bops on bops and I enjoy the whole thing every time I listen to it. 5/5
Spiritualized
3/5
First album I’ve seen with a perfect three rating. I’m going to try to rate this album before listening just by album cover and see how that goes.
Pre-listen review: mid, ok I guess
Post-listen review: see pre
3/5
Alice Cooper
4/5
I enjoy this. I like how experimental it feels while still remaining listenable and unique to Cooper’s style. Didn’t overstay its welcome had enough bops to get you through. Minor complaints about small things such as production and the sloppiness of the whole project, but I it may actually add to its charm. 4/5
Dead Kennedys
4/5
This is really well made and I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed it. There was range and a unique style. It sounded original. Production is great and the lyrics are incredible. Funny while still getting their message across. Their version of “Viva Las Vegas” made really sold it for me though. I have no complaints really, though it can get a tad repetitive. 4/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Bruce has so much energy and it’s incredibly infectious. I find it very difficult not to get sucked into his little New Jersey world. Every song is a bop and every other is a Springsteen classic. I have nothing bad to say at all. It has range and originality all complemented by The Boss’ unique voice. Fun shit. 5/5
James Taylor
4/5
This is nice. Not incredible, but enjoyable. His trip into the blues is only notable for how out of place it is. It’s almost endearing if you couldn’t tell how full of himself he is. He’s goofy, so whatever. 4/5
Iron Butterfly
4/5
One of the essential psychedelic listens. Great instrumentation and writing. Riffs that keep you interested. Surprisingly talented and unique vocals. Can get a little sloppy at times, but fun throughout. Lovely shit, dude. 4/5
Fiona Apple
3/5
I feel like it was trying too hard to make a statement and be bold or different that it took all the fun out of it. The writing was great and so was the production. It was even almost exciting at some points. However, I just can’t get behind an album that isn’t fun. 3/5
Janelle Monáe
4/5
There’s no denying how fun this album is, however I can’t help but feel that it suffers from a lack of direction and focus. Each track is enjoyable on its own, but altogether, sounds a tad messy. Still, there’s no arguing the production, writing, lyrics, and vocals on this project. Janelle is always a good listen. 4/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
If you love psychedelic rock, you’ll love this album. If you like psychedelic rock. You’ll probably think it’s alright. If you aren’t a fan of psychedelic rock, you’ll probably think it’s annoying. These are all correct opinions. There are great aspects in here that make it fantastic, such as the melodies, instrumentation, and energy. There’s also some pretty average to bad writing and production. Nobody should blown away by the whole thing, but also, it shouldn’t offend anyone. High highs and low lows type of situation. 3/5
ABBA
4/5
This album has enough hits to get it into the classics, sure, but the deep tracks are alright too. Some a bit of a snooze, but for the most part, people are missing out if they only listen to the songs that were in the musical/s. Also, fun fact, “Dancing Queen” was written about me. Hard to believe considering I was born in ‘02, but facts are facts. 4/5
Madonna
2/5
Not for me. Wasn’t a fan of, really, any of the choices made on this album. I don’t think they’re really working. Wasn’t difficult to get through, although I won’t be giving it another spin again if I can help it. 2/5
SAULT
3/5
The mixing and production are bad the vibes are here. Lyrically unimpressive, but a pretty good jam throughout. Energy is up and appreciated, although an hour was unnecessary and repetitive. Pretty mid, honestly. 3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
This is so annoyingly incomprehensible. They got a little heart and that’s about all. The experimentation isn’t flushed out enough to give a unique and original sound while also being something people can enjoy listening to. It’s an entirely undigestible album. I usually enjoy Frank Zappa, and I understand he walks a fine line with his experimental stuff, but this is on the wrong side of that line. 2/5
Slint
3/5
This album is good and feels unique and original, but is so slow and takes forever to get to the point. It also isn’t a very fun album to listen to and, sincerely, fuck that final track. 3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The Rolling Stones got a lot better over the years, before eventually getting worse. This album isn’t as bad as their recent stuff, but it’s not as good as a lot of their golden years records either, which makes me wonder why it made the list. There are at least fifteen Rolling Stones albums that are objectively better than this. There are not sixteen Rolling Stones albums on this list so some more deserving projects got snuffed. I’m not as disappointed in the album as I am with the decision to include it. The album isn’t completely offensive, but it is a bunch of white dudes sing covers pf black musicians, so, not the most creative or original piece of music. The Stones have always been talented both vocally and instrumentally, but that can’t save their debut from feeling a little boring. It has a bit of a spark that clues you into the possible future greatness, but overall, pretty mid. 3/5
Prince
4/5
This is an incredible, near perfect album. Biggest issue is that it overstays its welcome. Not like with most albums where there are too many songs, although that could be argued for this project, but in the sense that there a few select songs that are just needlessly long. There are instrumental translational portions that linger and I fall out of focus with the album before it can pick back up again. Great album though. 4/5
Paul Weller
3/5
This album has a lot of fun energy to it with a good bit of range, but the production is a tad bland, the writing is often unoriginal, and forgettable lyrics. I don’t know if this is necessarily a negative, but the vocals sound like a mix of a bunch of other popular singers. I enjoyed it, but definitely won’t be thinking of it often. 3/5
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Let’s fuckin buckle in. Was never a big fan of this screamo dark rock. It’s just so over the top that it makes me want to barf blood. I will say this to its credit; impeccable production, very original writing, obviously unique vocals, and some seriously tight instrumentation. Not much to dislike unless the genre just isn’t your vibe. It also definitely overstays its welcome. I don’t care how much you like Marilyn, an hour twelve is too much. 3/5
Mylo
3/5
typically speaking, I’m not big fan of electronic music, but this one was fun. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t very deep, nor do I think I’ll go back for another listen. 3/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Take it or leave it. The Talking Heads can make a good album, but is it too much to ask of them to make a good song or two as well? This album feels finished and realized and original and unique and all that good stuff. However, to sit down and listen to it is to sit down and listen to eleven songs that kinda annoy me. I’m not asking for a dozen chart toppers, but when “Psycho Killer” is the only thing keeping you going, the wait can be exhausting. It’s his voice, I think. I don’t know. 4/5
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Beautiful. Such an ethereal album. The songs do all sound the same given that it has such a celestial sound. Things start to blend if a different style isn't brought into the mix. That, however, is my only complaint. Everything else, production, writing, vocals, instrumentation, structure, lyrics, etc. 4/5
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Last night I out on this deodorant that made my pits itch like crazy and I had to get up multiple times around two in the morning to take care of it. I would prefer that experience over listening to this again. Didn’t like it, but it just kept coming. Like the war :0 wow, what an artist. I don’t think she’s that good a singer, honestly. I wanna say that I actually prefer the Nerd Wallet ad that kept playing between songs. Also made me develop this unsightly thousand yard stare, which I was hoping to stave off until my late thirties, but alas. 2/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
This is artsy, but not completely arrogantly pretentious. Can get boring, yet always remains beautiful. Original at parts, not so much at others. Good instrumentation, production is just fine. Pretty average. 3/5
Bon Jovi
4/5
Arena rock like this is best if you’re already familiar with the songs. The three monster hits off this album are most popular amongst listeners, but they may get turned off by the remaining tracks. While some of them are, indeed, duds, there’s a good portion of quality songs on here. This isn’t the most profound album on the list, but it’s fun and has tons of heart. Enjoyable. 4/5
Britney Spears
4/5
This is so fun and magical I love it. I’ve never described an album as being magical before, so I really felt something with this one. The album cover is atrocious, but I won’t hold that against Britney. She was just a girl. She’s got a great voice that has an infectious energy to it. The writing isn’t the most groundbreaking and the production, while sounding crystal clear, really is a one trick pony on this album. The songs can blend together and get repetitive, which makes things super boring, but there’s some range here and there. For example, “Soda Pop” sounds distinct from the rest of the project, which isn’t necessarily a good thing though. Jankiest song on the album. Best tracks “…Baby One More Time” (obviously), “I Will Still Love You (with Don Phillips)”, and “The Beat Goes On”. Can’t dispute the impact of this album and no arguing that I had fun listening. 4/5
The Associates
2/5
Yuck! They heard the Talking Heads and said “That’s it”. Sooo little here to like. 2/5
Beach House
4/5
This was a nice detour into something more modern. I really enjoyed this. Was surprised how many songs I could recognize while also knowing I’ve never listened to this album, at least, not all the way through. There wasn’t as much range as there could have been. The vocals were just what was needed in every song. The production, writing, and lyrics were all great. Downright decent. 4/5
John Cale
2/5
So boring. Its best quality is that it’s only 32 minutes. Almost like he was tasked with making an album, but actually didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. 2/5
Haircut 100
3/5
Great production, but ultimately, unoriginal and a tad boring. Inoffensive though. 3/5
Radiohead
4/5
Ooh baby. Not as experimental as their later work, but still enough to give it an original and unique feel. I enjoyed myself throughout and expect to listen again someday. 4/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I enjoyed these songs, but I didn’t necessarily enjoy the album. I think the first half was a lot better than the second. It really lost steam towards the end there, but Springsteen is a fantastic writer and that’s worth something. 4/5
The Undertones
4/5
Love The Undertones. They’re my favorite group in the post punk genre, which I usually can’t stand. This album is fun and catchy. Incredible production, surprisingly original writing, and cheeky vocals that are just so charming. Certainly pleased. 4/5
Jeff Beck
2/5
Pretty disappointing to be honest. Jeff is such an incredible guitarist, but he overshadowed by Rod Stewart’s vocals and all of the other instruments. All of the covers on this album add practically nothing to the original that would explain it’s presence. Just what a cover band would play. He’s only credited as a writer on three songs on this album and they are all so derivative. It’s the blues in its most basic form, but with a guitar solo. A good solo, mind you, but not one to justify the song’s existence. Everything is so lackluster it’s incredible. Except for maybe “Beck’s Bolero”, but that was written by Jimmy Page so I don’t know how to feel about that. Also, listen for a noticeable snapping sound in the background. This is the type of album that leaves me with the feeling that they could do something so much better, but fumbled on this project specifically. 2/5
Joy Division
4/5
Personally, I think this is possibly the best that the post-punk genre has to offer. I don’t want to make it sound like it isn’t offering much, this is really a fantastic album. The production is certainly incredibly pleasing. The instrumentation is on par and the writing is original and unique. I don’t enjoy the vocals as much as some people probably do. Also, the album will get repetitive before it’s over. However, I enjoy it whenever I listen. That opening is just killer. 4/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
A decade after their self titled debut was released, Sonic Youth drops a heavy hitting album. Over an hour of quality material. The best there was to offer at the time. This is the unique and original shit that satisfies that itch. Everything feels new on this album and I enjoy all of it. Except the run time. Too long. The songs start to blend together and become indistinguishable if you let it run too long. 4/5
T. Rex
5/5
It’s got great range, production, and instrumentation. The vibes are immaculate. Marc Bolan’s voice is so unique and versatile. The writing and lyrics are beautiful. Also epic album cover. I love this album from start to finish. It scratches every itch I could ever get. Fantastic. 5/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
I can’t say this isn’t original or unique, but once you’ve heard the first song you’ve basically heard the whole album. The rest is a worse version of the title track, which makes for an uninspiring forty minutes. Each song was good though, only not different enough. 3/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
The late, great Janis leads the group on this one (she always led, this isn’t a surprise or new information, just an establishing intro). Obviously, I have no complaints with Ms. Joplin. She is perfection. The group follows closely and keeps up and I have no complaints with them either. I would counter any complaints of this album being messy with the idea that it is the way the project was intended to sound. The parts I could do without were the live bits and lackluster blues covers. A cover is fine, but get into it. Overall, though, love this album. 4/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This is so simple, yet just as fantastic. The fact that he died less than a month after making it adds to the album’s effectiveness, in my opinion. The arrangements, though sparse, are beautifully powerful. The structure and production are phenomenal. The lyrics are some of his finest, which is high praise for Leonard. It’s a shame his vocals can’t match the weight of everything else in his songs. I know he was in his eighties, but it’s practically spoken word. Otherwise, incredible through and through. 4/5
John Lee Hooker
4/5
Personally, I believe the 80s and 90s was where the blues were at their lowest. A lot of the artists couldn’t compete with the rising popularity of R&B or hip hop. Those who tried did so fruitlessly. John Lee Hooker is one of my favorite blues musicians. He has such an incredibly powerful voice that I can’t help but get behind. The features are pretty fun as well. Blues albums have never been known for their wildly fabulous production, so I don’t expect that of this project either. John’s got a good range of both slow and fast tracks interspersed to give the album a good beat. Also, having the last three be without features and solely John was a great choice. Makes the album come to a beautiful and thoughtful end. It really is just a nice album, though not game changing. Simply a fun listen. 4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I don’t think this is their best album, but I definitely love it. I don’t see a problem with a single track. The whole thing stays fun while being insightful. Nothing more to ask for out of a hip hop record. 5/5
Baaba Maal
4/5
A wonderful and magically fun album that hits all the right spots when needed, but FUCK is it long. Yes it is. 4/5
Orange Juice
3/5
Completely inoffensive, but also never piqued my interest. 3/5
Brian Wilson
4/5
This feels like a magnum opus for Brian. A swan song, if you will. First of all, a fun listen throughout and powerful where it needs to be. I’m a little foggy on the particulars of this album’s backstory. I tried finding a YouTube video on it, but they’re all so long. Apparently, some serious stuff went down. That might really be all you need to know for the album to work as an intense piece of art. The arrangement evokes something I can only describe as tangibly ethereal. This version of “You Are My Sunshine” is possibly my favorite that’s ever been made. For 1967, this isa truly incredible piece of music that would have, no doubt, changed the game and inspired countless artists. For 2004, it falls by the wayside and gets a lot of “if only” points. Though it isn’t offensive, Brian’s aged voice can’t keep up with the magic this album needs to provide in order for it to work. So therefore, it gets a perfect score for theory, but a point off for being too late and execution which is a TAD too sloppy. 4/5
Little Simz
4/5
Bring it. Production is so satisfying. Her lyrics and flow really get you into it and there’s nothing to take you out. However, after listening, I can’t help but to feel that there was more that could have been done to make the tracks memorable. Yet, I’m satisfied with my introduction to Little Simz. 4/5
Beck
4/5
Beck, to me, is one of those artists that makes music that’s too avant garde for me to understand what’s going on, but not avant garde enough for me not to enjoy it. “Kindness will find you / Children will wander ‘til the end”. What’s this guy talking about? Sounds cool though, right. Unique and original writing as always, vocals and instrumentation work great, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. 4/5
Peter Tosh
4/5
I agree. Why not legalize it. I think it’s harder for some people to get into reggae because it isn’t as common as other genres. If it isn’t Marley, they won’t bother, but Tosh does an incredible job on his debut album of giving the music a good deal of range. That goes for the writing, lyrics, and instrumentation. This is a delightful album that doubles as an effective protest album. 4/5
Funkadelic
5/5
I don’t see a damn thing wrong with this album and a whole lot right about it. Production brings out the incredible instrumentation and vocals the band lays down. The guitar on these tracks are so full of emotion. Vocals are infectious. Lyrics are often repeated for the effect of highlighting important lines, but it doesn’t feel forced. The album is sort of the result of a mad genius at work. There’s no doubt everyone on this project knows a hell of a lot about music and the fact that they all decided to go crazy gives it a passion that complements the intelligence very nicely. My personal opinion is this project is best enjoyed as a whole rather than listening to individual songs, but I would never mind throwing any of these tracks on at random. 5/5
Kate Bush
4/5
Kate’s an interesting creature. She uses her voice as an instrument like you’d use any other. It’s kind of annoying if you aren’t intimately familiar with her work and style. This was original and unique, fun at times, plenty of range, good production, structure, writing, and lyrics. It isn’t for everybody, but if you can dig Bush, you’ll really dig this. 4/5
Fever Ray
2/5
Can be fun in some places, but ultimately, incredibly derivative. 80s inspiration is fine, but the amount of it rejects any originality. I got a Kate Bush album yesterday and feel like I got another one today. It’s not insulting or unlistenable, just not very good. 2/5
Elton John
4/5
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
SATURDAY/
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
4/5
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Snoop is no doubt one of the biggest voices in hip hop. Not only is this album incredibly influential, but his voice is so identifiable because of its smoothness. With Dre as producer, the project obviously has incredible production. Some classic Snoop songs on this album and it’s always a fun listen (I could do without some of the interludes). Only complaint is the lack of range both lyrically and emotionally. Not much going on besides Snoop being the best and having a good time in Cali. “Murder Was the Case” is the exception and turns out to be, in my opinion, one of the best songs on the album. 4/5
Isaac Hayes
4/5
This is one of the best movie soundtracks of all time, but as an album alone, is restrained in the sense that you have no context for the music. All of it still sounds great, but it feels like something is missing (because something is missing). For the tracks that do feel complete, however, they are phenomenal. 4/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Sounds so soulful, don’t you agree? Bop after bop. Not as many certified classics as he has on other albums, but still just as fun, thoughtful, and unarguable quality. Incredible production and instrumentation. Stevie’s vocals are always amazing, his lyrics and writing as well. I can’t find anything not to like honestly. 5/5
Pavement
3/5
All the songs were a little samsies. If you’ve heard one, you’ve pretty much heard them all. It doesn’t get offensive until the second to last song, which I got unreasonably annoyed with and actually started to give me a headache. They’re unique for sure. I wish there was something of substance here, though. They ultimately feel like a band that wanted to be a band so they formed a band and only started making music because that’s what a band does. I do love “Cut Your Hair” though. Banger. The rest of it I can take or leave. 3/5
Stan Getz
5/5
Innovation incarnate. Like nothing the world had ever heard before (if you were American). I love this album so much, I can’t say a bad thing about it. It’s got such a good feeling and energy to it. I’ll never get bored of listening to this album. 5/5
David Holmes
2/5
I think a one is a bit egregious, but don’t mistake my two for anything other than me abhorring this album. It’s just that I’ve heard more offensive ones. 2/5
Megadeth
4/5
This fuckin rocks. Has some issues with production and range, but ultimately slaps the entire way through. Instrumentation is next to none when it comes to thrash metal. Makes you wonder why new art is even being produced at all. 4/5
Ryan Adams
4/5
Powerful songwriting at times, boring tracks at others. A big bunch of hits and misses. I enjoy each track individually, but, altogether, they get lost within each other. Not offensive and I’d say more to like than not. 4/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I disagree with the reviews saying that the “filler” songs are unnecessary. There isn’t a single song on here I’d get rid of. They all add to the album. An argument could be made against Voodoo Chile, but it won’t be by me, I believe it’s awesome and I love it. Instrumentation, production, and vocals are, obviously, in another league. Jimi’s writing is really what shines here, to me. It feels more natural than his previous two records. The structure of the album is immaculate. Rises and dips that ultimately crescendo in two of his most iconic songs. Nothing about this album has ever left me feeling unsatisfied. 5/5
Steely Dan
5/5
I understand completely why someone might not like this album. That being said, I love it. It isn’t my personal favorite, but it would be my pick for their best work. They’ve never been as on it as they are on this project. The writing is stellar, the instrumentation is perfect, and the production is even better. Better than perfect. How about that? The range is here, the structure is here, the vocals are here. It’s a party. Steely Dan has a unique sound that makes them stand out and it is most iconic, in my opinion, on this project. Aja. 5/5
Ian Dury
4/5
This album would receive a perfect score if I was drunk and from Essex in the ‘70s. That is not the case. His voice is unique and not in a totally bad way, the writing is good, lyrics are lackluster, production is fine, as well as instrumentation. Nothing here to make the album really stand out in my opinion. It is nice though, at times. And then you have the last third of the album that really punked it up in just the best way. Saved it from being unmemorable. 4/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
You can’t say they aren’t experimental and groundbreaking, but you also can’t say they aren’t going to get annoying fast if they don’t change their formula. I liked all the tracks as standalone pieces. They’re fun and all have a good amount of energy to them. The mix of seemingly random instruments in the background, however, can turn you off after the fourth or fifth track. I can definitely understand someone’s complaints with this project, but I don’t want to take away from the influence it’s had, which is massive. Influence doesn’t necessarily mean the album is good, though. It helps, but ultimately only pushes this album to slightly above average. 4/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Words cannot describe the disappointment I have when listening to MJ. He makes really good music and it’s a tad difficult to admit that given my understanding of the man’s personal life immediately following the release of this album. Production, vocals, writing, and lyrics were all good start to finish. Not a dull moment, though they aren’t all perfect. Not the most life changing album for most people, but a fun listen if you don’t know better. 4/5
Dusty Springfield
2/5
This sure is a collection of songs. I don’t believe Dusty’s adding anything particularly noteworthy to these tracks that warrant a cover. Meaning the entire album is unwarranted. Some (a lot) of the covers are easily worse than the original so this album essential works to weaken her image. I don’t know why anyone thought it was a good idea to make this album and also to put on this list. Nothing here is egregiously offensive, just insanely and textbook derivative. I love her voice and suppose it isn’t the worst album for a debuting artist. 2/5
U2
4/5
I really like this a lot more than I feel like I should. It’s good. Actually good. That surprised me for some reason. I’m not a big U2 fan, but I’d listen to one of these bad boys if the mood struck. Nicely done boyos. 4/5
Digital Underground
3/5
This is so funny. Are listeners expected to take this seriously. I think it’s so long and corny, but very good. Feels like exactly what they were going for. They’re having fun and it’s infectious, but I certainly don’t think I’ll be listening to this again. 3/5
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
An hour and fourteen minutes of songs about Illinois can, no shit, feel a little monotonous. Although, if anyone can pull it off as well as Sufjan, that would certainly be an incredible feat. The whole thing was pretty good, but I felt disinterested the whole time based on the fact that it's entirely about Illinois. Almost feels like an educational album. It was good, every song was nice. It sort of feels like a waste of incredible production and arrangement for an album that's just so lackluster in design. Fun stuff. 3/5
Aphex Twin
1/5
There is not a soul in the world, including Brian Eno himself, that could convince me that electronic music as a genre is the least interesting thing to happen to music. I don't care about influence or technical prowess if the whole album is a bag of shit that a braindead coma patient could out perform. Whoever added this album on the list was trying to upset me and it worked. I'm on vacation. Give me something good. 1/5
Bee Gees
3/5
I enjoy each song individually and it seems like they all have the same feeling and should go on the same album. Don’t try to convince me there’s some kind of underlying story throughout the whole project. Writing is fairly good, production as well, vocals as well, instrumentation as well. It all is. There’s nothing bad here, but definitely nothing to write home about. Frankly, I’m underwhelmed and disappointed. 3/5
Linkin Park
5/5
Based on vibes and vibes alone, this album is a ten. Hit after hit. Technically, however, I believe it’s also a ten. Lyrically, instrumentally, production, writing, etc. It experiments without becoming a cliche of the genre or alienating itself. It has range succeeds in every area. Chester’s incredibly powerful vocal performance on every track gives the album an energy that no other band can replicate. And just when you realize the album is perfect; it ends. Not overstaying its welcome, but leaving everyone wanting more. A true gem. 5/5
Japan
2/5
Insanely underwhelming without any hint of originality. Lackluster, lazy, and, after a while, downright annoying vocals, which leads to the album’s repetition. Instrumentation does a wonderful job of breaking up the album and is easily the bast part, including the arrangements and writing. Lyrics were fine, but ultimately unmemorable. Whole thing was just inoffensive at best. 2/5
Gotan Project
3/5
I enjoy this, but don’t think I’ll be listening again because I feel like I got it. Nothing more I could really get from this album. It’s good, but simple. Maybe they’re able to expand, but did not on this project which leaves it feeling like a base coat with VERY minimal details. Nothing I didn’t like, but not enough here to like. 3/5
The Monkees
4/5
Considering where this band started, it is absolutely unbelievable how well they did. They make really good music for a “fake” band. This album has a healthy amount of experimentation, great instrumentation, instantly recognizable vocals, and lyrics that always feel like they fit perfect. There’s no reason for me to like this album as much as I do. I just find it so fucking delightful. 4/5
Sade
4/5
I had fun the whole way through. I can see the complaints of the songs blending together, but there are albums that do it worse. If you aren’t familiar with Sade’s work (or any artist of a different genre), then their songs will probably sound the same. However, I personally was pleasantly surprised with how diverse all the tracks are. It isn’t the most diverse project, but at only nine songs, she made a heavy hitter of a debut album with this one. The arrangements are nice and complement the vocals well. Writing and lyrics were also engaging. Honestly confused with all of the hate this album gets. 4/5
The Residents
2/5
I saw that it had a really low rating so I expected something different. What I wasn’t anticipating was to be immediately thrown off guard and never be able to regain control of my mind for the next half hour. The most nauseating 35 minutes of my life. The idea of “enjoying” this album, even just one track, is appalling to me and if my wife of 50 years told me she found this album pleasant I would stab her like the duck—write in the fuckin’ head, eh? I don’t believe this all bad, there’s heart and some sense of direction here that some artists are missing. I don’t agree with a single choice made, but at least the choices were original. 2/5
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
I really enjoyed this. Honestly, way more than I should’ve or thought I would. There was an insane amount of range, some would say too much, I say, just right. Every song slapped in my opinion. Seems like a hot take, but this fucks. Sue me. 4/5
The Soft Boys
3/5
Not impressed. Not offended. Generic, yet listenable. 3/5
The Verve
3/5
Do they sound too much like U2 to be considered original? Also, can homie at the bottom on the album cover chill tf out? He looks as disgusted with me as Goebbels does in that one photograph where he just found out the photographer was jewish. Anyway, this was a fine listen, if not repetitive. No big complaints, but maybe less praises. It will fall from my memory with its strongest component being it’s e the ethereal, yet energetic feeling. 3/5
AC/DC
4/5
The best selling rock album of all time. I played this shit on repeat when I was a kid. Iconic riffs, strong writing, killer arrangements (for a rock album, at least). The lyrics are what you’d expect from a couple horny blokes in the early ‘80s, but otherwise, I’d say this is rock perfection. Love this. 4/5
Turbonegro
3/5
This is so fuckin punk rock düd. HATE the fuckin name though. Can’t believe it was between that and “Nazipenis”. Now, the album has 13 songs, which isn’t necessarily too many, yet the album still ends up becoming repetitive. The vocals are completely lackluster and void of emotion. Instrumentally, it’s gee golly just good. The best thing they have going for them is the shock value of their titles and appearance, but if you strip all that away, you just get a glorified garage rock band. Bad? to some, average for me. 3/5
Sepultura
4/5
There are some pretty good jams throughout this project, but the nonsense noise drowns a lot of it out so I won’t bother to find them once I complete this listen. Not my favorite genre, but these guys do a lot to make it listenable. I appreciate that. I appreciate the album. I will almost certainly never listen to it again. 4/5
The Triffids
2/5
Very emotional, but in an annoying, whiny, melodramatic way and too derivative to be interesting. 2/5
Sister Sledge
4/5
This is fun. I enjoyed it, although if it were to go on any longer, I could see it becoming pedantic. Lovely harmonies, writing, and energy, but lacked the memorability to make it timeless. 4/5
Elis Regina
4/5
Not as soulful as her early works, the bossa nova genre was dying at this point and this project did little to save it. Nothing new said, little new gained. I enjoyed it, though. 4/5
White Denim
4/5
This is nice and new. Not the most original, but unique enough to set itself apart and make me wonder why it didn’t become more popular. Instrumentation and writing are well done. Production is nice; simple, yet effective in creating a unique feel. I was surprised to enjoy the detour into an instrumental track for “Back at the Farm” rather than finding it repetitive and unnecessary. The biggest issue I have with this project is also the reason I’ve never heard of it; there’s energy here, but no electricity. Not much to latch on to. Nothing entirely memorable, unfortunately. 4/5
The Fall
2/5
First song is for a spooky Halloween party. I’m no expert, but the production could have been a little better. Voices or instruments were drowning each other out at various points. Second song was alright, but could have been much more intriguing if anything was said besides the title and unintelligible nonsense. This vibe persists throughout the entirety of the album, leaving me feeling like this could have been a much bigger record. 2/5
George Michael
3/5
For some reason, I get the feeling that I don’t believe him when listening. He’s a good singer and there are good beats, but emotion is lacking for most of these tracks. There exceptions, “One More Try”, for example feels like it has true passion to it and “Kissing A Fool” is a lovely slower song. For the most part, though, I doubt I’ll find myself to listening to most of this again. 3/5
Kate Bush
3/5
This album is well thought out and masterfully executed. The instrumentation and writing is beautiful. The lyrics are both introspective while also drawing from numerous historic references. Somehow this is still a chore to get through. I find listening to Bush more exhausting than anything else. That feat on its own should be commended, but I can’t this album a stellar score given the fact that I felt no enjoyment at any point throughout this endeavor. 3/5
Hugh Masekela
5/5
I have loved Hugh Masekela since high school. His effortlessly cool style combined with the feeling of . . . sunshine? He does happy music the best I've ever heard. Without it sounding too sweet and disingenuously positive, he creates melodies that just brighten the mood, which all makes his deeper, slower songs so much more memorable. I have nothing to complain about. The length and production could be an issue for some, but neither bother me. I enjoy this album and every song on it thoroughly. Love it. 5/5
New Order
3/5
Great production and could be fun for some people, I imagine, but wholly uninteresting to me, personally. 3/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
They sure are enthusiastic about their little project here. The music is passionate for the most part. The instrumentation and writing are strong. Nothing here that’s very original or particularly exciting, but it’s fun. 3/5
Never been a big U2 fan. Seen them live and all that stuff, never clicked for me. I can jam to their stuff, but will rarely if ever put it on by my own volition. Not sure why exactly. Maybe a bit too dramatically bleeding heart? Great writing, lyrics, instrumentation, vocals, arrangement, and production. At a little less than an hour, you’ve got a healthy amount of tracks here without too much filler. Not much not to like. 4/5
Ray Price
2/5
A group of songs—one written by Ray—the rest forgotten covers. Is this album on here just to check a “old country western” box? There are countless better country western albums by much better artists. This album confuses more than serves as a placeholder. As for the actual quality of the album, it’s good. Ray gives a fine performance with instrumentation that’s on par. He doesn’t really do anything new, so I still wonder; what’s the point? 2/5
The KLF
1/5
Did not have fun. They can fuck right off. Do they have talent. They might have a very little itty bit of talent. Did not enjoy this. Waah. 1/5
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
No idea what she’s saying, but boppin all the way. A bossa nova album in the 21st century is a little late and it added very little. Really enjoyed all of it, though. 3/5
UB40
4/5
I love the political album, opposed to the usual love songs we get. This album did everything it set out to do; raised awareness, caused uproar, and brought us some nice jams. There are steps that could have been taken to ensure their impact would be more effective, but as it stands, this is still a killer album. 4/5
Suede
3/5
Yuck! :) Can’t stand too much more of this nonsense. This is unimaginably derivative, insincere, and almost always unbearable. There are moments of pleasure, the instrumentation and writing are nice. The vocals and lyrics are what they are. Could give more, but it is what it is. Maybe just not a phan of this genre. 3/5
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Surprisingly refreshing. They don’t quite sound like anyone else. Enjoyed the whole thing. Just under an hour is a bit long and it could have excited more, but I’m not complaining. 4/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Not as enjoyable as anything else I’ll be listening to today. Didn’t like her droning voice or any of the melodramatic material. It is for some, but not me. 3/5
Pretenders
4/5
Good stuff, good times, fun album. Not an incredible amount of range here, but they do their one trick very well. We get a little taste of something slower on “Stop Your Sobbing”, however, no full fledged experience. It does what it does well and that’s worth something. 4/5
Napalm Death
2/5
I think this album’s biggest flaw, if I could pick only one, would be that there are almost 30 songs on the album in about 30 minutes. This doesn’t give the listener any time to get invested in the music. Feels like right when it gets going it stops. The shitty production and lackluster writing don’t help. Instrumentation is the only thing here that feels inspired. Like the album cover though. 2/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
One of my favoritest albums. Grew up listening to a lot of these songs. This album has a healthy amount of range, experimentation, creative and innovative writing, and several classics. There’s obvious quality in the instrumentation, production, and vocals, but, in addition, the energy is just what this album needs to make it unforgettable. It just ticks every box for me and I have not a one complaint. 5/5
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
A fusion with funk is sort of exactly what samba needed. Funk complements samba so well and opens up a lot of possibilities for experimenting, of which there is a healthy amount on this album. Without alienating his album from either genre, Jorge successfully blends two genres while expanding both of their possibilities. There’s an incredible amount of range, beautiful production, great writing, and I have no idea about the lyrics. Almost as good as his earlier couple records. 4/5
Prince
5/5
Incredible opener and mind blowing closer. Everything in between rocks out too. Not a miss on the whole thing. Everything works hard and works well. Not an ounce of fat. Love this album and love to listen. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. 5/5
Eric Clapton
3/5
uneventful. 3/5
Neil Young
4/5
Yeah, this was good. Fun enough. Not the most inspiring, but the lyrics were great. If the other writing had kept up, then you’d have one stellar record here. 4/5
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
He’s got a good collection of classics on this album. Not all of them are perfect, but a fair portion of them have proven to be. Clearly an inspiration and driving force in his genre if you listen to early rock and roll, or most music of his contemporaries. Writing, lyrics, production, performance, instrumentation, vocals, range, and structure are all good. Better than average across the board and better than that at times. 4/5
Duke Ellington
4/5
Not a big phan of live albums, but this one has an energy that saves it. Obviously fantastic writing, instrumentation, arrangements, and structure. It’s just really good. 4/5
The Coral
3/5
I like this album, but there isn’t anything here that couldn’t have been done forty years prior. The Coral is an album the longs for a past that has long since matured. There isn’t anything wrong with any of the songs. Lyrics, instrumentation, and writing are all good. I’ll give it an extra bump in quality for the vocal performance. James Skelly has a unique voice that makes this album tolerable. 3/5
System Of A Down
4/5
This was good, original, exciting, and possibly cathartic. Every member of the band working in perfect unison to create such a chaotic album. Really enjoy System Of A Down, but after a good forty minutes of listening, there isn’t one song that I can pick out from memory. One that stands above the rest. They all blend together, for me at least. All songs slap though and I’ll never turn it off. 4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This album is undeniably beautiful. The arrangements, vocals, writing, lyrics, and instrumentation is all stunning, but there is little that I feel will be remembered from this. I’ll enjoy listening if I ever need to again, but don’t know that I’ll feel like it’s worth it. 4/5
Tim Buckley
4/5
This album has heart, range, originality, experimentation, and most of everything you could want out of an album. Top songs were “Once I Was” and “Morning Glory”. The others were great, very few seemed average. 4/5
The Youngbloods
3/5
More of a collection of songs than an album. They’d just abruptly start and stop when they felt like it. The instrumentation and vocals were all there and heartfelt, but the whole thing was a little scattered. 3/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
“I’m going to copy David Bowie. To prove it, here’s David Bowie” Yes, this album is a tad derivative, but it’s also pretty fun. Most of them have some feeling in them. “Dum Dum Boys” could have been better in a variety of ways. Seems like filler to me. Overall, though, very nice. 4/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Lyrically, she’s one of the best and this album is one of the best examples of that. Arrangements can sometimes be a bit sparse, but they’re never bad. Instrumentation and vocals never show off, but demonstrate strength. Production is great, wish they were a bit more experimental with it though. 4/5
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
What do you want from me? There are dozens of Ella albums that aren’t on this list that could replace this easily. This is NOT a good album. It is a confusingly long collection of great songs. Ella, go ahead and sing some of the Gershwin songs, BUT 3 HOURS WORTH!!! I suppose I see the appeal. Maybe theater nerds would get excited over this. Don’t get me wrong, Ella kills it on every track, but for there to be that many tracks. Also, why are the last six songs instrumentals by some fucking Nelson Riddle asshole. Bring Ms. Fitzgerald back. For Ella, perfection as always (except for the part where she okayed this length). For the production team, nothing. They get nothing from me. 3/5
Dion
2/5
It’s infuriating they went with this album OVER “Runaround Sue”. This album, after listening, is completely forgettable with nothing that stands out. Not sure what there's even to say about this, honestly. This is certainly an album. Much too long and never justifies its length. Just keeps going for some reason. Unoriginal. 2/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Is it possible to make an album that is so infectiously fun which also spreads an important and profound message. Apparently so. You can hear how influential this album is and, in some cases, trace certain modern musicians songs directly to one of this albums innovations. Not as solid as their previous album, but still incredible. 4/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
Innovative, experimental, authentic, and profound. This shit hits hard. In my book, it’s a perfect nine. It lacks a replay value that would give it a perfect score. You can get these songs in your head and memorize them by heart, but not on the first listen. Not on the second and maybe third either. Otherwise, not a damn thing wrong with it. A very strong debut album. 4/5
The Waterboys
3/5
Someone on here said they sound like a mix of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen and I couldn’t agree more. They’re a tad original, have a lot of energy which really drives this project, and aren’t the worst writers either. There are some choices that show a desire to be experimental, though, as a whole, the album really isn’t. Overall, however, I’d say I definitely enjoyed this. 3/5
Ice Cube
3/5
I don’t which one of goddamn jackasses got a problem with all the fucking “language”, but y’all can suck a dick. How can you really give a shit about cursing. Also, should be noted that the misogyny on the album is present, but in my opinion, is not overbearing. I really don’t know what to think of “It’s a Man’s World (feat. Yo-Yo). He didn’t need to feature a woman, but also why say some (most?) of that shit. Otherwise, beats are dated, but solid. Flow and writing are strong. Nothing jumps out to me honestly as being incredible, but this album still remains iconic. 3/5
Otis Redding
4/5
I love this album and he’s such an incredible powerful soul singer. Every song bops. However, for a lot of these tracks, like; “Respect”, “Change Gonna Come”, “My Girl”, etc. His version is not the definitive version. Meaning that someone did that song better and I can’t give this album a perfect score knowing that there are better versions of these songs out there. A real conundrum because I want to give everything Otis does a perfect ten. Unfortunately, we’ll just have to settle for a. 4/5
The Police
3/5
There’s some bops here, but, ultimately, more bores. A lot of this album feels like filler (the title track?). I might enjoy these tracks on their own, but together, they’re a little obnoxious. What I did like, I really liked. What I didn’t was tolerable. 3/5
Minutemen
1/5
Talentless sons of bitches, I swear. 1/5
Yes
4/5
That was a nice album. Loved the harmonies and mixes of all the genres. The songs were a tad long, but I never grew tired of them because they were always evolving and changing into something different and consistently interesting. Honestly really enjoyed this. 4/5
Dolly Parton
4/5
These are three incredibly talented ladies. I have great respect for each one of them individually. All together, they are a powerhouse of a country group. None of them let their own style, though proven successful, dominate too heavily on this record, ultimately, creating a new sound that’s a beautiful mix of the three of them. This is a really fun album and I enjoyed all of it. Only wish there were some tracks that became mainstream. 4/5
Tori Amos
3/5
I believe Kate Bush already made this. Beautiful lyrics, original arrangements, and nice storytelling, but there’s too much here that’s completely derivative of other artists. 3/5
Destiny's Child
4/5
I don’t know what it is about their third album, but they seem to be a more focused unit. They’re still having fun like they did on their previous two albums, but they’re having fun making quality music. Not to say their earlier albums weren’t quality, just that this feels like it’s on another level. The biggest flaw here is the unjustified length of the project. Vocals are obviously flawless, but the production is a step up. The structure is better. The arrangements feel unique and original. Just better all around. 4/5
Madness
2/5
Rubbish. Not sure why the kept going. 2/5
The Auteurs
3/5
I liked it. Sure. Not all that original. Not all that exciting. Nothing wrong with it. Here it is, an album from the early ‘90s. Yes. There it was. 3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I really enjoyed this album. Quite more than I thought I would. The songs here all have substance. My only issue is that only two of them really stand out while the rest fade into the background. Otherwise, very nice work here, Neil. 4/5
Ride
3/5
Better than I thought it would be. Shoe gaze generally doesn’t pique my interest the way this album continually did. No stand out tracks or major takeaways, but it definitely wasn’t bad. 3/5
Carpenters
3/5
This is entirely beautiful. Lovey dovey euphoria of perfect happy romance world. Didn’t need the “Help” cover and most of the other covers didn’t need to be included either. Points off as well for the songs being a little samsies, but otherwise, pure bliss. 3/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
This album is all over the place, yet also seems so focused. Such a large range of different genres that flow seamlessly between each other. Although, the lack of faith to one specific style can leave the listener feeling as if they’ve listened to a compilation album (“I’m So Proud / Ooh Baby Baby / La La Means I Love You / Cool Jerk”) rather than a studio album. His vocals are impressive, though comical at times, especially when jumping suddenly into his falsetto. I enjoyed listening to the whole thing. 3/5
Anthrax
3/5
Fifty minutes of what kinda feels like the same song. There is a *little* range here, but mostly lacking in that department. Every song rocks out fucking hard, though. As a metal album, it kicks ass and definitely gets the job done. As an album just in the world, however, could have been better. 3/5
Killing Joke
3/5
Too much of the same song. I enjoyed the electronic/techno influence that was present in a few of the songs, but otherwise, this album isn’t really that original or unique in any way. 3/5
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
This album sux. I hate it. I find no redeemable qualities anywhere around it. No need to listen. 1/5
Cream
4/5
As far as psychedelic rock goes, this is the pinnacle. The perfect amount of weird and experimental. Their hearts are in it as well as talent. Writing is strong and lyrics are good. Little not to like, but to say there’s no issues anywhere would be a lie. Always enjoy a spin. 4/5
Taylor Swift
4/5
Big phan of the break from pop to go back to country/folk. One of my favorite Swift albums, although Folklore did it better. Fantastic songwriting, but the vocals can get a little old. There’s some range here and there, but samsies for the most part. I enjoy it though. 4/5
Taylor Swift
3/5
Welcome to New York is the most soulless pop song I’ve ever heard. It’s pointless and adds nothing. I hope to never hear it again. The beat on Style goes hard and some of these song’s production outshines Taylor. Blank Space is unique and original while also remaining very Taylor, though Shake It Off and Bad Blood are exhausting and, frankly, cringey. Wildest Dreams and clean are nice. All the songs have a very urgent feeling including production and lyrics, but fails to make me want to actually do anything, such as excite me. Some of her songs have a timeless feeling while this whole album felt dated almost immediately after it came out. I can enjoy, maybe, one? two? songs on the is album. 3/5
Stan Getz
4/5
Sorry mom, this album’s a fucking vibe. There’s no stopping this groove. Stan Getz and Charlie Bird create some fucking magic here. I don’t think this one is quite as good as Getz/Gilberto, but it’s really close. Love this album. 4/5
Scott Walker
2/5
I didn’t expect it to, but it got really annoying. Why did he keep singing the same song over and over? There’s just no range. For 1968, this style is a little late to the game. Singer’s like this didn’t last past ‘63. There weren’t any interesting choices with the instrumentation or production. His vocals are technically good, but subjectively bland. The whole thing begins with a little cheekiness that quickly fades away. I enjoyed the first two, maybe, and then was either indifferent or annoyed by the rest. 2/5
The Prodigy
3/5
It’s a nice album, really. Production is solid and the beats are new. The whole thing feels original and unique. Personally just not into electronica, but the rock/metal elements made it more bearable. 3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
This album and his next are basically the same. They were made the same year and might as well have been a double album, but since they ain’t I’ll just paste my review for Highway 61 Revisited as it fits flawlessly:
Even if I didn’t enjoy this album, which I do, the lyrics themselves get it to at least a four out of five as being an album that acts as a voice of a generation. The range of melancholy, to spunky funk, to soft rock, to downright depressing, and so on while always remaining folk makes it possibly the best folk album of all time. I understand peoples complaints with the seemingly endless verses, but the album accomplishes what it set out to to do. Bobby Boy sings everything he wants to sing and I can’t argue with that. 5/5
3/5
One of the better electronic albums on this list, but only because there’s some fucking vocals. Otherwise, can be a bit forgettable. 3/5
Common
3/5
I enjoyed the album. Doubt I’ll listen again, but wouldn’t be upset if it came on. The beats can sound a little dated for 2000. Lyrics and production are both solid. Only other issue is that the length isn’t justified in my opinion. 3/5
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
I honestly got a little bored. Nothing here to make it stand out amongst the crowd. It shouldn’t be considered bad, but not without room for improvement. 3/5
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
Really unsure what to make of this. Both originals and covers fail to interest me. I don’t mind an album made up of bongos, but the instrument isn’t incredibly versatile. Take the drum solo breaks in “Wipe Out”. Their cover couldn’t possibly reach the range of necessary commotion that was presented on the original track. I would listen to these songs if they came on, but don’t desire to listen to the whole album again, or even once, honestly. 2/5
Animal Collective
3/5
Too much of the same thing over and over. That “thing” is really good, but not eleven times in a row. There just isn’t enough range here, which is a shame because everything else here is so beautiful and feels like it had an incredible amount of thought that went into it. I’ll enjoy one of these if it happens to come on, but not the whole album. 3/5
George Michael
3/5
I just listened to this less than a month ago because Apple Music put it on their list of 100 best albums. I wasn’t impress then and am still not. Somehow, it’s more bearable, though. It depends on the mood I’m in, I suppose. If I’m not in a “heal the world, let’s all sing kumbaya” mood, then I won’t enjoy it as much. Also, I need to mention that what he does to “They Won’t Go When I Go” is a shame. It’s not bad, but doesn’t deserve to be on either list. 3/5
Joe Ely
4/5
This feels like a fresh and original country album for the 70s. Good songwriting all around, unique chords and progressions. I was pleasantly surprised throughout the whole of the album, but never enthralled. Still, I enjoyed it thoroughly. 4/5
Mike Oldfield
3/5
This should have been a couple more songs rather than two long ones. It’s not like the two are wildly different in tone to the point where it makes sense to only have two. There are three points in the first song where you could split it up. It can be a little sloppy. At times it seems like that’s the desired effect, others I can’t tell, but would guess not. I’m not really that impressed by anything here as it does sound like a product of its time. 3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Better than I expected it to be. The energy is what makes it. They have a belief in what they’re making that makes this album work. There isn’t a great amount of range or any big dose of originality, but it is certainly enjoyable. 3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Definitely one of his best. Beautiful and powerful lyrics throughout the album. If there were ten stars I’d give it a nine. Only because “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” sounds a bit too much like “Shelter from the Storm” in its instrumentation. Listen to the jangling guitar and especially the bass. Otherwise, I couldn’t find a thing wrong with this. A load of classic Dylan tracks and it all feels cohesive. Here’s another for Bobby. 5/5
Jacques Brel
3/5
A live album. Jaques has good studio albums. 28 minutes long as well. This album gets a low score, but that’s more h the fault of whoever picked it rather than on Monsieur Brel. He killed it on this, as he pretty much always done. So much passion in that voice. No clue what he’s saying, but I really feel it. Good work Jaques, bad work list maker. 3/5
Green Day
5/5
Holy shit I fucking love this album. It’s a powerhouse from start to finish. Incredibly insightful, unique, and original writing. Not a single skip or weak track on the whole record. Green Days best work. 5/5
Roxy Music
4/5
Coming in with some bangers here. Not big enough to really bop to, but there was definitely some substance. Not too long, good bit of range, original, unique. I enjoyed the instrumentation, lyrics, vocals, and album as a whole honestly. 4/5
Astor Piazzolla
1/5
Atrocious. Didn’t enjoy one song. Utterly unexciting. Masterfully boring and uniquely unoriginal. It’s my opinion that the musicians couldn’t hear the other members and had to hope they were playing together. Not sure who this is for really. 1/5
The Smiths
3/5
A lot of moaning without emotion. I never believe the words Morrissey sings. That being said, the writing, lyrics, production, instrumentation, arrangement, and structure are all solid and I enjoyed a couple songs. 3/5
The Charlatans
3/5
High energy throughout the project, but never too different from one song to another. They have a style of playing that works well, but not as well as it could. Oasis came along and did what they do better. Still enjoyed it, but nothing special. 3/5
The Sonics
2/5
The Witch starts this album off on a high note. Psychedelic sixties rock in full swing and heavy beat to get down to. All downhill from there. What follows are dated-feeling and unoriginal covers that have no business existing. Has the feeling of a debut and I don’t mean that in no nice way neither. Highly disappointed. 2/5
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
So disgusting, yet so beautiful. Trent is such an incredible writer and this album feels so original and unique compared to anything else that was happening at the time. I can see the complaints of it feeling dated, but it doesn’t feel like that for me. The instrumental period towards the end makes the album drag just a bit, but the final two song finale makes up for it. Little complaints here. 4/5
M.I.A.
2/5
Ohh . . . no. This ain’t it. Sorry M.I.A. You got better after this, but humble beginnings are afoot. Not sure that she needed to be on here once. Twice? Currently 2/3rds the way through this list and things are getting questionable. Did the all-powerful list maker choose some of these to toy with us mortals? Do they sincerely believe these belong on the list of 1001 BEST album? Maybe they didn’t know enough albums and had to throw a bunch of random shit on here to make up for it. Genuinely confused. M.I.A is on here twice. Still baffled that this album, a fever dream of quality, is present. It’s just messy. 2/5
OutKast
5/5
My pick for Outkast’s best album. An insane amount of range given that it’s over two hours. One of the only, if not, the only album I can think of that long where the length is justified. Production feels new and original. Lyrics and flow are substantial and unique. My only suggestion would have been that it may have worked better as two separate albums rather than two stitched together, but it doesn’t feel forced. They complement each other well. Love it. 5/5
50 Cent
4/5
An incredibly influential hip hop album. Strong songs, unique style, original feel. There’s a lack of range here and also a little substance lacking, but still a very fun album. 4/5
Wire
4/5
21 songs at 36 minutes. Some of these songs are way too short for me to do anything with. How am I to enjoy a 40 second song. There’s no time for any investment. Production, lyrics, and instrumentation are all good. Vocals are fine. Writing is original enough for me to be able to set them apart from their contemporaries. Fun for a punk enthusiast. Alright for the average listener. This album definitely had a lot of influence, which shouldn’t go unnoticed. 4/5
The White Stripes
5/5
I love this chunky sound. A perfect album all around in my opinion. Accomplishes everything it wanted to. Great production, not that the production itself is necessarily quality across the board, but that this is the perfect style of production for this album. The whole project feels original and uniquely loose and messy in the best way possible. Jacks voice is fantastic, especially when juxtaposed against his guitar and Megs blaring drums. The writing and lyrics are everything they need to be. There’s enough range on an album with sixteen songs. Even though they aren’t incredibly long, they each have their own personality that sets them apart from each other. Great work, Whites. 5/5
Jack White
4/5
Yesterday was The White Stripes, today is more Jack White. I’m not complaining, I like most everything Jack’s been a part of. This album is no different. Great instrumentation, vocals, production, and songs. Not as good as he was with Meg, but stijl solid. 4/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
A really interesting album. Bob does a good job of fitting his style into the nineties. Wouldn’t say that this is a prophetic or profound as his earlier work, but it still has a fantastic lyrics, writing and a good amount of range. His voice, though now aged, remains iconic. Don’t have too much bad to say about this, except he didn’t need all those songs. If your album is that long, it should be worth it. Some of these songs ain’t. Quite enjoyed it. 4/5
2/5
They’re certainly original. Completely unique in their sound. Possibly trying so hard to stand out that they just come out sounding annoying. I’m not really a fan of this at all, but I believe they achieved what they wanted. Q: Did I enjoy this album A: I did not. 2/5
Gang Of Four
3/5
You think they’ve ever heard Talking Heads? I don’t like how repetitive and borderline pretentious the lyrics are, but the writing is solid and feels original. The vocals aren’t the most unique. It jumps from disingenuous to cheeky. Production and instrumentation are fantastic, though. I enjoyed parts of some songs, but would not listen to this again. 3/5
The Cardigans
4/5
Really enjoyed this album despite never having heard of it. Felt original for the nineties and even for today. They have a unique feel I’ve not heard before. Instrumentation has a 60-70s California vibe that complements the lackadaisical vocals in such a way you get a feeling of unsettling joy. I also like how a lot of the tracks flow into each other. Very impressive. Only complaint was that it could have used more range. Almost tuned out until I realized they were attempting a cover of “Iron Man”. Shouldn’t have done that. Overall, I am very satisfied with this. 4/5
Elvis Presley
4/5
I’ve never been a big phan of Elvis. Never wrote his stuff and ripped off black artists, etc. yada yada. His debut is the only album I like of his. I like songs off other albums, but certainly not the whole album. This one is both beautiful and energetic where it’s needed—mostly. The decision to end on “Money Honey” is fucking idiotic and takes away from the previous tracks (“Blue Moon”) perfect ending. I could go on, but it isn’t worth it really. I raise from three to four stars only because of the undeniable influence this album had. 4/5
Hot Chip
3/5
Completely inoffensive, but also mostly uninteresting. I enjoyed some of the production choices, though didn’t think they were entirely original. They’ve got a semi-unique sound. Lyrics are unexciting. Wasn’t a fan, myself. 3/5
Beatles
4/5
This album is the introduction to a massive change that came to the music industry. However, this one absolutely reeks of debut. Sloppy covers that don’t outdo the originals, slapdash arrangement, short run times. This records best moments are when they do their own work and experiment a little. The experimentation isn’t as drastic as their later records, but you can still hear it on here and it’s what immediately set them apart from their contemporaries. I love this album, but understand it has flaws. Great stuff. 4/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
Building on their predecessors, while still sounding unique. Original writing and thoughtful lyrics that aren’t too far out there, but certainly aren’t boring. Vocals and harmonies are beautiful. A perfect length, doesn’t overstay its welcome. Progressive production. A solid number of hits, though they aren’t as mainstream as they could/should? be. I can’t find anything wrong. It’s a truly lovely album. 5/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
No Bob album is worth anything less than a four. This album is close to a five, but just doesn’t reach his best works. Still, iconic and an album I never mind listening to. 4/5
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Boundary pushing, but otherwise, I find it reasonable that I only know two songs from this album. The others were good, but didn’t reach thrilling. Good production for the time. I wish they had let Grace sing more songs. Still iconic. 4/5
Jamiroquai
4/5
I honestly think he approached funk/jazz in a new way that hadn’t quite been done before. I enjoy all of these songs, but to listen to them all back to back is somewhat of a chore. Also, hate to say it, because I was really into the groove, but some songs didn’t need to be that long. There were certainly parts of this project that could have been cut. Thoroughly enjoyed it though and would listen again, but probably not as a whole album. 4/5
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Fuck yeah, what do you even call this. It’s great when you can’t fit a record into one genre (usually). Makes it feel wholly original, much like this album. On the con side, many of these tracks, especially the covers, feel like they belong in commercials. There’s a big hole in this album that substance should be filling that they instead tried to plug with instrumentation as fancy as they could find. I don’t think any of the songs are bad, some of the compositions are really quite surprisingly beautiful. However, I wouldn’t really want to listen to the whole thing again. A song or two I could handle. 3/5
The Byrds
3/5
A collection of songs that complement the bands discography well. This album doesn’t add to their reputation, but certainly didn’t take anything away from it. Ultimately, the whole thing is a little forgettable. Nice enough though. 3/5
Mercury Rev
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would considering I’d never heard of the album or artist. The seamless combination of multiple different genres and styles makes this album feel unique and original. No bops, but the writing, lyrics, and production were all solid. Glad to have found it. 4/5
Pearl Jam
5/5
They can’t all be perfect. Today, however, I guess I’m just lucky. I have loved this album longer than I know. Hit after hit after hit. Hits with substance, hits with original writing and unique instrumentation. Hits that stick with you even after they stop playing them on the radio. Eddie’s vocals set the band apart from their contemporary grunge artists, who were already being set apart. Everything about this album is so damn iconic. It’s nearly perfect, if not, perfect. Ten/10
The Cars
4/5
The cars had/have a sound that has not yet been replicated. Unique to them, so, that any attempt at recreation would be labeled “derivative” immediately. However, originality doesn’t always equate to quality. Often times this album suffers from the feeling of repetitiveness solely for the reason it sounds new, but new all in the same way. I may not be making complete sense, but range is what I’m talking about. Lead vocals unmistakably belong to The Cars. Instrumentation is fresh enough for the time. The tracks themselves are fun, but mostly forgettable after the first three. I wouldn’t look forward to listening to this album again. 4/5
Simply Red
2/5
This is abysmal quality. Whoever thought this should be on the list is an absolute ignoramus. This album is just so far below anything that should even touch this list, it’s sad. It’s only saving grace is that it wasn’t a complete chore to get through. This album isn’t even quite sure what good music sounds like and to put it up here with all of these greats is almost cruel. What the actual fuck were you thinking. 2/5
Richard Thompson
3/5
I really enjoyed this album and would be fine giving it a higher score if it had been released ten years prior. It sounds like a product of the folky sixties rather than the mid seventies. There’s no trace of any of the progress made in the music industry. This doesn’t necessarily make an album unoriginal, but in this case, it feels derivatively unique. If it had come out a decade earlier, I probably would have given it a five out of five, as I really did really enjoy it. 3/5
Spacemen 3
3/5
Could have been better, but ultimately felt unfocused. Not offensive, just forgettable. Has interesting moments at times, but they’re overshadowed by the fact that I don’t care at all. 3/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
He sounds drunk. Some of the songs feel like they go on forever, yet non of h them reach the five minute mark. The whole album feels the same, though it doesn’t reach forty minutes. Not good. Instrumentation is fine, unremarkable. Production doesn’t pique my interest. Very bored by the whole thing. 2/5
Jeff Buckley
5/5
This is on of, if not, the most utterly beautiful album to ever exist. Jeff’s voice is so expressive and works on every level attempted. Every song he touches turns to gold. I love this album. So raw, so talented, so dead. Tragically profound. 5/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Points for originality and experimentation. Points for being unique and not caring what anyone thinks of them. I think they’re difficult to listen to. 2/5
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Not sure exactly why, but I ain’t vibin. I don’t necessarily think this is bad, however, there could definitely have been some improvements. 2/5
Stereo MC's
3/5
I enjoyed this, but I feel guilty about it for some reason. I don’t think there’s a lot of substance here, but every song is such a bop that I can’t not have fun. I’d listen to any of these songs again, but the whole album start to finish again. 3/5
Kate Bush
4/5
To me this album listens more like performance art than an album that is in any way enjoyable to listen to. There are some tracks that are bearable, but most are such a chore to get through. Either because of the production choices or experimental instrumentation, mostly though, because of Kate's iconic voice. The warbling moaning gets on my nerves before the second song finishes. However, there's no denying Bush's unique and original sound. This album is incredibly inventive and sounds nothing like anything her contemporaries were doing. It was also the inspiration of countless other artists, so she gets a lot of points in those two areas. I just personally cannot enjoy this. I have the thought that maybe it could have been better if she had access to today's technology and could truly musically express herself with no limitations, but this isn't that album. 4/5
2/5
Look, this was perhaps the hardest album to get through on the entire list thus far. First off where the fuck did they even find this? I had trouble simply trying to locate this album to give it a listen. Secondly, once I found it and commenced to listening, I was subjected to the most amateur sounding music in every way shape and form. The production is nauseating, the vocals are obnoxious, and the instrumentation is somehow pretentious. Don’t get me started on the fucking lyrics. Thirdly, the genre of this album seems to change from track to track. I can’t keep up with it and it gives the album a derelict quality in that the project feels as though it has no place to call home. Therefore, subjecting the listener to a “world tour” of music in the worst, most exhausting way possible. Not all of the ideas on this were atrocious, though. I think if they had focused in on one style and used the whole album to expand on it, they could have had a more consistent album that wouldn’t be such a pain to get through. On the whole—deliriously below average. 2/5
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Side one was nice and I enjoyed the laid back energy, but side two was instrumental and it made the album feel incomplete. The lyrics were great, his singing was great, the instrumentation on the second half wasn’t necessarily good enough to survive on its own, so what’s the fuckin deal? I would have really like this whole thing, but alas, I must be content with liking half. 3/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
This album feels less like the Tim we grew to know from his earlier works and more like Elvin Bishop, and I don’t mean that in no nice way. The production is great, the lyrics are fine, the instrumentation is good. A good number of tracks are unjustifiably long. Mr. Buckley ends up rambling for a while and it leaves the listener wondering why the song hasn’t just fucking ended already. Tim’s writing and performance have dropped in quality on this project in my opinion, but the album as a whole is pretty cohesive. I’ll give it that. 3/5
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
I had fun. Wasn’t great, but good enough. Best songs were “Jus’ a Rascal” and “Do It!”. Worst was “Live O”. Don’t believe I’ll be listening again. The production was great, but lacked a low end that would have made this album really shine. The lyrics could have used some work as well as the flow. The lack of any sort of chorus made the album as a whole feel forgettable. If “Do It!” just had a simple looped R&B sample or old one of an old doo-wop hit, I genuinely believe people would recognize this artist. Overall, choices weren’t bad, but they could have been better. 3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
This album would be perfect if it was a little more energy to it, concerning both instrumentation and vocals. The lyrics and writing are possibly the best of his generation. His unique voice is debuting finely. The production works with no great flare, but the instrumentation was a bit sparse. That being my only complaint, I loved this album and always enjoy listening. 4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Nick Cave, as always, has created and released something hauntingly beautiful. In this project, it’s more beautiful than haunting, though. I enjoyed it, but the writing isn’t quite as good as his some of his other albums. In addition, the whole thing does drone on a bit without any grand instrumentation or anything else to break up the songs. I did enjoy it, though. Not sure if I’ll ever listen to the whole thing again, but surely I’ll put on a song or two from it. It’s good. 3/5
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Boring, but inoffensive. It was nice. All the songs blend together in my mind, so the lack of range is a bit of a detriment, though none of the songs are bad. Just no spark. 3/5
Lana Del Rey
3/5
I don’t typically enjoy Lana albums. Never liked the style she sings in or many of the musical choices she makes, either with writing, production, etc. Not that any of its bad, was just never my thing. I did enjoy this one, however. More than I thought, at least. Not too memorable, but it was nice and listenable. 3/5
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
This sounds like something that would play in the intro of an early 2000s kid/teen cartoon drama. The Chemical Brothers have a distinct sound and I believe I’d be able to pick them out of a crowd of other electronic artists, but electronic music just isn’t my thing and I my tolerance for it is low. All that being said, though, this is good. It is quality. It is unique and original. It is not exciting. 3/5
Soundgarden
4/5
Great album cover. Great vocals, instrumentation, production, writing, and lyrics. The length should have been cut to make for more focus on their better tracks, but still a very enjoyable album. 4/5
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
No idea what happened so I’ll give it an average of. 3/5
The Stranglers
2/5
Underwhelming, annoying at times, forgettable for the most part, sloppy instrumentation, bad vocals. I don’t mind the lyrics and writing, but this could have been easily better. 2/5
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
This was good, nice, and completely inoffensive. I enjoyed parts, but there is way too little going on to give it anything higher than a. 3/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This album is fantastic. Every song sounds so different from the rest, which is especially hard on a double album. Not a single track is bad. Not a single skip. It’s almost their best work, but the album is so much more innovative than anything that you’d expect from a band six albums in to their discography. Led Zeppelin is one of my favorite bands so maybe I’m a tad biased in favor of them, but this fucking rocks. You don’t have as many hits as you do off their first four, but the quality of the songs haven’t dropped a bit. They’ve gotten more experimental while still sounding like the band. Love this. 5/5
The Sugarcubes
4/5
This was a fantastic journey start to finish. I worried it would be another standard brit-pop album, it’s Icelandic, but this album is fantastic. It doesn’t necessarily sound groundbreaking, but there’s something here that is undeniably fresh and infectiously fun. Björk, perhaps? I’ll have to go with that, though I’ve never enjoyed any of her solo albums. Well done Ice People. 4/5
Brian Eno
2/5
Certainly better than his ambient music album that I got earlier, but still, I’ll always have problems with the choices Brian takes. His experimentation lent itself to being annoying. The whole thing was rather a bore. 2/5
Holger Czukay
3/5
This is strange, unique, and original. Sometimes endearingly so and sometimes annoyingly. 3/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Everyone on this album sounds like they were dunk at the time of recording. The writing and lyrics sound like they could have been pretty good had they been tighter. It’s sad to think about what this album could have been, but it isn’t that. 2/5
The Human League
2/5
An album filled with a bunch of forgettable songs and one hit at the end doesn’t qualify for this list. Try again. 2/5
Joanna Newsom
4/5
If I had known anything about this piece going, I probably would have expected to enjoy it a lot less than I did. A warbling voice like Björk, but it isn’t annoying. Songs that last for more than ten minutes, yet they don’t feel bloated, stretched, or unnecessary. There’s a lot here that just works to prove she got the formula right. It’s as if she had the one recipe I enjoy for a food I otherwise could not tolerate. Maybe I’m getting too deep. Album nice, but not sooooo nice, but definitely nice. 4/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
The inclusion of “Too Rye Ay” on this list was understandable given the powerhouse of a hit that is “Come On Eileen”. While the rest of the album was as good, it was possibly good enough to get it on the list. This album, however doesn’t have any powerhouses. It doesn’t even have a regular hit. It’s got songs that have an enjoyable amount of cheekiness to them, but are otherwise fucking unintelligible. What are they talking about? Is this supposed to be good? Like an artsy sort of thing? My opinion is that it’s not good art if you don’t feel anything. This album had me feeling nothing. The album is tolerable and inoffensive if you don’t give it too much thought. Don’t believe it should have been on the list. Certainly not that great, but whatever. 3/5
The Streets
3/5
I kept wondering when it was going to start during the first song. “Surely this is some sort of sloppy introduction.” Nope, that’s what this album sounds like. Why is that what this album sounds like? Second track was better, but still janky fucking flow. The rest follow that formula of a chorus that sounds like it’s out of a real song, but the verses are janky as fuck. There are a couple good ones in there. I really enjoyed “Fit But You Know It” and “Dry Your Eyes”. All in all, eh. 3/5
Pantera
4/5
I enjoy Pantera. I liked this album. I’ll listen to them again in the future. No clue what they were saying the whole time, but the riffs and other instrumentation fucking rocked. Felt almost cathartic to listen to. 4/5
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
She’s good. If she had kept releasing albums I think I would have heard of her. Either way, this album still hits the right buttons. She’s got a great voice and solid beats. Wish there were more memorable tracks. 4/5
Ash
4/5
I loved this album, though never having heard of it or the band. I wish there was a little more to distinguish the songs from each other, although, all in all, a great start to my morning. 4/5
U2
4/5
A great early outing for the future massive hit. Two bangers and a bunch of other songs that don’t get too much air time, but are still quality. This is good, heartfelt music. Genuine passion in here. Enjoyed it. 4/5
Bad Brains
4/5
Love Bad Brains. Great stuff. I wouldn’t say I Against I is as groundbreaking, original, or quite good as their self titled debut, but it still kicks ass. Their writing, instrumentation, and vocals are unmistakably their own. No big complaints or praises on the production, lyrics, or arrangements. Enjoyed this very much. 4/5
Moby Grape
3/5
I could barely find a way to listen to this and then it went way too fast. Most songs stopped before you could really get into them. I really liked “Lazy Me” and think it could have been something great if they had kept going for at least two minutes. Other than track briefness, my complaints are few. They are, in all other areas, on par with their contemporaries. There were moments when they sounded better, some worse, but mostly on par. I would have liked to enjoy this more. 3/5
John Lennon
4/5
This production is just stellar. The writing is innovative. Beautiful arrangements. John has a bit of an ego that causes him to not realize when an idea is bad. He’ll think it’s experimental in a good way and that lends to the bits on this album that don’t work. The ending of “Mother” where his cries for his parents stop feeling heartfelt and simply turn annoying. While I believe a working class hero is something to be, I don’t believe John when says it. A good amount of range while still having a solid theme throughout. An incredibly respectable album. It was fun and, though I’m not John’s biggest phan, he created a really great album here with very few faults. 4/5
George Jones
3/5
Not his best work and I wish it were a bit longer, but these are quality country songs and I had fun. He’s never had too much range and the songs on this one don’t go into anything deeper than what’s already been covered in the genre. On the other hand, great instrumentation and singing. Interesting writing at times. Maybe even a hit. Maybe? 3/5
Black Flag
4/5
I love this album and it has objectively changed the course of music history. It is good, but it isn’t perfect. The range could be better. The vocals almost work. Henry has the right voice for the band, but they would be even better if he could get the note right when singing. The instrumentation could be a tad sloppy as well. Everything else was beautiful. A perfect “fuck you” to the powers that be. I think everything they set out to achieve and I enjoy it a lot. 4/5
Ice Cube
4/5
Some of his best work here. Not sure it’s his best album, but influential. An enjoyable listen. Quality hip hop. 4/5
Hüsker Dü
2/5
The production, vocals, instrumentation, lyrics, and writing are not nearly good enough to warrant a seventy minute album. 2/5
Femi Kuti
4/5
I love this. This was a fun time. He’s nowhere near the talent his father had, but what he does have is a knack for making each song energetic and downright enjoyable to listen to. Wasn’t the most original for the 90s, but there were a couple moments here and there. 4/5
Jethro Tull
4/5
Innovative, original, and unique. Not for everyone, not for me all the time, but in the right setting, it slaps. Slaps hard. Hits hard and keeps going. Not a note out of place. Achieved what they set out to. Enjoyed the album today. 4/5
Hole
4/5
A talented group of kids if I dare say. Even a couple hits on here. I quite enjoyed myself. Good, quality fun. 4/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
An iconic album with some solid hits, but otherwise pretty sparse tracks. It reminds me of a folk singer with just a guitar. They have a single beat and their vocals. Maybe not only one beat, but the track sounds fairly bare. All in all, though, a great first outing for the group. Lyrics were enjoyably cheeky, production was solid (young Rick did not disappoint), and they have a pretty unique style that helps them stand out—among other things . . . 4/5
Death In Vegas
3/5
Not a phan. Too much not going on. Gets really boring really fast. There are parts to get in to, but overall, I feel no better off after listening. No worse either, though. 3/5
Orbital
2/5
I don’t believe there are words in my language that can properly explain what I felt when the first started playing. Fear mixed with anger along with some helplessness. Depression came when I scrolled down to see that the album was over an hour long. The only sense of joy came when it was finally over. There was a couple moments that I could stop hating and appreciate how solid the production was, but not for long. 2/5
Caetano Veloso
4/5
I’d say this is one of the better foreign speaking albums I’ve heard on this list. Foreign if you only speak American, like me. Lovely vocals and instrumentation, no clue what the guy’s saying, but the writing goes hard. This album isn’t quite bossa nova which is surprising given how much of a powerhouse the genre was in 1960s Brazil. Caetano does not care. He makes a wonderful album anyway. Not life changing or anything, but quite enjoyable. 4/5
Fairport Convention
4/5
Unhalfbricking is an incredible album. The songwriting, vocals, lyrics, structure, and arrangements are all stellar. Felt immersed in the music rather than just one listening. I wish there had been more energetic songs to equal out the melancholy, but I won’t complain. 4/5
3/5
After a while, this project can get a little flat. Great writing throughout, but never expanded upon. Vocals, instrumentation, and production are all fine. Mostly unimpressed, but definitely entertained. 3/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Oh my goodness, I haaaaaaate the Pet Shop Boys. There’s no feeling quite like not listening to them. Their voices, their arrangements, their beats? Quality production and I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world, but for me, it is unbearable. 2/5
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Very heartfelt. From the bottom of his heart he pulled this album. I enjoyed listening more than I thought. Never liked his version of “Hallelujah” so I didn’t have high expectations, but he pleasantly surprised me. Simple, yet entirely complex by adding the smallest of details. A great album from start to finish, if not, a little repetitive. Otherwise, hurrah. 4/5
John Martyn
3/5
Man sings like he smoked a pack a day for his whole life and now has a hole in his throat. At least it’s unique. It’s not the worst album I’ve ever heard, but I enjoyed very few parts. Inoffensive, mostly. 3/5
The Mars Volta
4/5
This hit hard. A really good mixing of a lot of genres. Done very well. Great production and writing. I could have used a little more lyrics throughout. Not a big instrumental guy. All in all, great listen. 4/5
The Vines
4/5
Oh what fun. An album that never would have gained any sort of popularity if it hadn’t been released in the early 2000s. Good energy on here. Good writing, fair lyrics. I enjoyed this very much. 4/5
Metallica
4/5
Two issues with this album. Everything else is flawless. One, production is a tad shoddy. Not the worst Metallica has ever done, but certainly not the best. Two, the ratio of instrumentation to vocals sways way higher to the instruments. Probably the highest out of any of their major five. I can still rock out to the heavy metal of it all, but without vocals or some sort of solo to focus on, it feels like a backing track. The instrumentation itself is fantastic. Vocals are great when they’re there. Lyrics and writing are some of the best the band has ever achieved. A fantastic album, but not my personal favorite from them. 4/5
Portishead
4/5
I don’t think there’s doing any better than their first album, but this is still amazing. Still original into the new millennia. Unique and experimental while still being enjoyable. Great vocals, writing, instrumentation, and production. This is great. 4/5
Barry Adamson
1/5
When was the last time you heard somebody say “Hey, put that Moss Side Story record on! Boy, I sure do love me some Barry Adamson!” You’ve never heard anyone say that in your life. Mostly because this sucks. 1/5
Willie Nelson
4/5
A collection of covers. Not my favorite concept coming from Willie in what, some may say, is his prime, but excellently executed. Always glad to see Mr. Nelson on the list. 4/5
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Ravi Shankar is a legend and his talent is proven on this album. Explaining the fundamentals of Indian classical while still making in completely original. I’m a bit stingy when it comes to instrumentals, though, but I find it otherwise perfect. The production, writing, arrangement; all beautiful. 4/5
Lauryn Hill
5/5
One of the only double albums with a justifiable length. One of the only album to use interludes in an original way that doesn’t feel forced or time padding. The songs themselves are fantastic, introspective, and beautifully executed. Writing and lyrics are thoughtful to the point of researched while also remaining unique to only Lauryn. Production and arrangement are both great. I own this album and always enjoy finding new things upon another listen. Truly phenomenal. 5/5
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
A promising first half that led into a repetitive and unoriginal second. I really enjoyed listening to the first three or four songs. I was excited to see what came next, but after the halfway point, it became clear that nothing else new was on the way. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, having never heard of the artist. It was good. 4/5
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
My Bloody Valentine is great. They’re unique and original, both in a good way. Their experimentation pays off. It’s difficult to articulate the vocals at times, but I understand that it’s what they’re going for. That it’s less about what they say and more about the vibe the vocals give the project. Their vibe is firmly established, but I wish they had something more to say and were able to find a way to express it clearly. My only issue with them, though. 4/5
Wild Beasts
4/5
I don’t understand why this album has such low ratings. I thought it was fun. I saw “electronic” and got scared, but it was honestly marvelous. I really enjoyed all of it. I am a phan. 4/5
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
This is an odd one. I don’t mind country music like some people do, but the choice to include this instead of other major classics that aren’t on the list is curious. This album isn’t insanely offensive, but much like his voice, it’s very average. Instrumentation is the highlight, in my opinion. They do a great job of keeping the album on track. Arrangement is a tad strange. Why include a weak cover of “Send Me the Pillow”. Very middle of the road country record, but I enjoyed most of it. 3/5
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
This album fucks. To write something that not only is lyrically relevant when it came out as well as thirty years later, but to have it still rock out is an incredibly admirable feat. Outstanding production, unique vocals, original writing, the entire album is wholly enjoyable from start to finish. 5/5
The Young Gods
3/5
Lord knows I ain’t got no clue what they’re saying, but hell if it don’t go hard as fuck. Not completely impressed, though. 3/5
Donald Fagen
4/5
He’s got such a unique voice. Completely unmistakable. The way he strings together jazzy melodies into a cohesive song has always impressed me. This album, although not his best work, showcases his multitude of talents. The writing is original, the production is impeccable, the lyrics are thoughtful. He makes a very nice record. His voice can turn some people off, but I don’t mind it too much. Pretty good, although the lettering on the cover art sucks. 4/5
Traffic
3/5
I enjoyed it, but recognize if one doesn’t like classic rock, then one will not like this, as it isn’t the best. Can get repetitive, the vocals are insanely average, instrumentation is solid, writing is fine. Nothing really stood out to me. This will certainly fall into the obscurity with all the other albums I’ll say I’ve listened to, but not be able to name a single song. 3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
They went all in. There’s a beautiful range here that brings this album to another level. It rocks the fuck out even though there aren’t any of Black Sabbath’s big hits on here. Pitch perfect vocals, gorgeously innovative instrumentation, incredible writing. A bit of experimentation that worked in some areas and not in another, but mainly, fucking sick the whole way through. I’d give it a nine out of ten but I’m limited to half a denominator. 4/5
Stereolab
4/5
This was nice, fun, and whimsical. Couldn’t discern too much range, but there was some. Also, was 57 minutes necessary? I think not. I enjoyed it thoroughly, though. 4/5
Def Leppard
4/5
What’s the reasoning behind this album being over an hour in length? I’d like to know. There isn’t anywhere close to enough range to justify it. Getting over that for now, this album fucks. HARD. It’s got a punchy sound coming from their one armed drummer. The vocals mixed with their signature production make them unmistakably and cement their unique sound. The instrumentation accomplishes everything it wants to perfectly and so do the vocals. This isn’t the most original or thought provoking album, but there’s no denying it’s fun as hell. 4/5
Tortoise
2/5
Not my thing. Wasn’t annoying, but I definitely won’t be listening again. Production was very good and so was the writing and arrangements. 2/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I have two opinions on this album depending on whether or not I’m listening to an instrumental or not.
Instrumentals:
I wonder if they practiced being this terrible before they got up on stage or did they just wing it? They’re somehow pretentious. I don’t enjoy these ones. I will say the production, although good on both types, was fucking impeccable on the instrumentals. Especially when you take into consideration that this is a live album.
Non-Instrumentals:
For the few of these that there were, they were fine. Good lyrics, singing, writing. Nothing too epic, though.
Overall not at all thrilled by the whole thing. 2/5
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
This was so much more fun than I thought it would be; and I didn’t think it’d be not fun. The writing is beautiful and original. The lyrics and vocals are gorgeous (though I’m not entirely sure what they’re talking about). The instrumentation and production both complement everything perfectly. The amount of range surprised me given that non english albums typically feel like an amalgamation. Couldn’t be more pleasantly surprised with how well I turned out to enjoy this. 5/5
The Go-Go's
4/5
This is the best Go-Go’s album. Their followup “Vacation” a year later is a close second, but it isn’t that close. The quality on their debut is nothing they would ever achieve again. The songs are so infused with joy and youth. It’s so perfectly everything it wants to be. I only wish there was something more substantial. Something really original that would earn it five stars. No matter, I enjoy this album anyway. 4/5
The Only Ones
4/5
Yeah, this was good. Better than expected. A good listen, but could get a bit repetitive. It’s original and unique and I enjoyed it. 4/5
Circle Jerks
4/5
It’s only sixteen minutes long. What am I supposed to do with this. I need more to judge. It’s all great, but, like more please? 4/5
David Bowie
4/5
This shit is fucking beautiful. Sensational start to finish. Another stunner from Davy Jones. Wouldn’t say it’s as successful as his previous, or even the one before that, though. T’wasn’t as cohesive. The thread of continuity was thinner, but still there and still strong. However, knowing that an artist can do better may take away from the initial reaction. I know he can achieve “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” so why am I getting a cover of “Let’s Spend the Night Together”. The finale was incredible, though. I still love the whole thing. 4/5
The Black Crowes
4/5
Love this album. Grew up listening and enjoying it is more accurate. The vocals are unique, but not quite technically great. The instrumentation has the opposite effects. They are playing technically well, but completely unoriginal. Not to point of being derivative, though. If all the tracks were covers, I’d have a big issue because it’d feel like a completely unoriginal piece of art. However, only two are covers. The issue is that one of those covers is the bands most popular song. The changed it up just enough that it justifies itself, though. Other than “She Talks to Angels”, which is a beautiful song, the rest are a tad forgettable. Still fun throughout. 4/5
Queen
4/5
This is 100% a classic rock album, but where most rock albums of this area started to blend together, Queen did something completely different. The whole project feels original and nobody else could achieve what they were doing. The instrumentation for one is on another level of both quality and uniqueness, but they shine the most in their vocals. Freddie has such an instantly recognizable voice. The arrangements are incredible and the writing is pretty good too. Some tracks are a bit meh, but all are fun (except for maybe “God Save the Queen” not sure what’s going on there). Enjoy this very much. 4/5
The Verve
4/5
All the songs on here are gorgeous. The production is noticeably original and experimental in a good way. Not sure why they’d put “Bitter Sweet Symphony” at the start and not the end. I suppose it’s better than just slapping it somewhere in the middle. Why couldn’t they make any other songs with melodies as popular as that one? Because they didn’t make that melody. So take that song out and the rest are forgettable, but still quality. Would they really be remembered if they hadn’t had the one song that was mostly written by someone in the sixties. I don’t believe so. They are still good. Their lyrics are good enough. The length isn’t justified though. Great album. 4/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This album is fantastic. So many classics and no duds. The Stones at their best? I think probably. What’s wrong with it? Nothing. It’s great. 5/5
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Good shit. Crazy album cover. Not incredible, which might be why I haven’t heard of it. It’s fine, I guess. 3/5
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
To give him credit and slightly defend the album cover, you are certainly able to judge the album by the cover on this one. Neither are very good, but both are unique. A lot of moaning and groaning. I don’t hate it, but I don’t think it’s really that good. 3/5
The Pogues
4/5
The Pogues. Don’t listen to them much, but when I do, they fuckin deliver. Righteous group of Irish folk songs here. Good range, lyrics, instrumentation, and writing. The vocals are recognizably Shane’s. Not their greatest, but still great. 4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Experimentation doesn’t always work on this album. Every song is a quality performance, but some seem a little messy. Not their best work, but still great. 4/5
Kings of Leon
2/5
Sounds like what an alpha male wolf couple would listen to. 2/5
The Strokes
5/5
Every fucking song! Not a single miss. Where’s the stinker. You’re wrong, there are none. Fuck you! This is great. I love it. It’s fun, every song stands out from one another while also sounding like one cohesive album. The instrumentation is great, but not so perfect to the point that it sounds soulless. The vocals are iconic and unique. Original songwriting. This feels new and fresh any and every time I listen to it. There is nothing like this. Great album. One of my all time favorites. 5/5
Alice Cooper
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this. I didn’t think it’d be awful, but there is so much more here than I anticipated. I love a good finale. The 3/4 time in “Blue Turk” was a nice reference. I was confused by, not only the inclusion of, but also the frequency and apparent weight the Jets melody had in the album. I enjoyed it though. 4/5
Devendra Banhart
3/5
The songs could benefit from a bit of extra work, whether that be extending the song, cutting it completely, or something completely different is up for debate. The guitar intro on “A Sight To Behold” was reminiscent of Leonard Cohen’s intro to “Avalanche” and given the former’s shorter length, I would say the only good quality of the song is taken from a better one. I do enjoy the guitar melodies being played, though. They’re truly lovely. Will say that it is pretty easy to tune out though. Lyrics are pretty good. Instrumentation is everything it needs to be. All in all, just felt a little bored. 3/5
Aerosmith
3/5
This album is everything I would have expected from Aerosmith at that point in their career. Every song is so grand and over the top. Sorta gets exhausting after a while. It’d be nice to see them try something else. “Janie’s Got a Gun” is a nice change of pace for the first bit and I would have liked to see them expand on “Dulcimer Song” a little more. None of the songs were offensive, though, and I enjoyed the album. 3/5
Beth Orton
3/5
Ooh boy. This was certainly underwhelming. A lot of moaning for no real sense of relief anywhere on the project. It is really a whatever album. Sure, I’ll listen to it. Stop it if you want. I don’t care, whatever. 3/5
Doves
4/5
It’s a lot of noise and not particularly the best noise I’ve ever heard. Lyrics are fine, instrumentation is fine, vocals are fine. This is fine and I enjoy one of these song well enough, but the whole album gets a little heavy. That was my review before the second half. This is one of the first times I can remember that a second half of the album changed my opinion of the album as a whole. No shit, the album is meant to be listened to as a whole. I know and understand that. Usually, however, you can predict what an album will bring based on the first couple songs. Generally don’t get surprised by a second act. This surprised me and I’m glad it did. The two acts complement each other so well. The album gets clearer as it goes on which is a new concept I can’t remember hearing before. I enjoyed a lot more of it than I thought I would. Listened while waiting in line to VOTE today. 4/5
Sugar
2/5
That sucked. I don’t want to think about it no more :( 2/5
Duran Duran
3/5
Very shiny, but ultimately bland music. Showing off while saying nothing. It’s fun sure. Inoffensive. Wouldn’t listen to it again. Some songs by themselves maybe. It’s alright. 3/5
DJ Shadow
4/5
The production on this is sooo good. Top notch delivery, he did such a good job. It feels new and original almost thirty years later. While I do enjoy the songs, I can’t enjoy them for too long, though, because it gets to be four minutes of the same loop. This instrumental style is really good for background music for me, but as something to listen to at the front of my brain, giving it full attention, it gets a little boring. I understand that’s a me issue rather than the album. I’m just not the biggest phan of instrumentals. As instrumentals go, however, this shit slaps and it is certainly quality. 4/5
Erykah Badu
4/5
I’m gonna stat with my one and only complaint with this album. There’s fourteen songs on here and the album is an hour and twelve minutes long. That’s over a five minute average for each track. That isn’t needed. Not for every track. I get the idea of sitting back and jamming and enjoying the music, but I get bored after a while if nothing new is introduced. That’s just me. Moving on, her vocals are gorgeous and unique, the writing is incredible and feels fresh. Production is wonderful. The album feels original and out of time. It is good always. I really enjoy this. 4/5
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Clapton is at his best when he’s not trying to be a black blues musician, but instead, a psychedelic rocker that’s inspired by black musicians. I don’t want to hear your rendition of “Key to the Highway”. You won’t do it better. I want to hear you play original ballads about George Harrison’s wife or really good songs about pants. Most every song on here was good, but it did suffer from how long it was with not every song being perfect/necessary. There’s a good chance I’ll listen again, though. 4/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Good start, got boring in the middle, great finale. Not their best album, not their worst. I enjoyed it for the most part. 3/5
The Roots
4/5
Surprisingly uneventful. Wonderful production and original beats. Lyrics were good. Nothing too much to say, otherwise. 4/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Great album. Good songs, but they work better as an album. Love The White Stripes. Love how they’re always experimenting with new instruments. Not as catchy as their other albums. Not their worst, though. 4/5
Emmylou Harris
4/5
This album fucking rocks. Emmylou is the best. I love her. Such a beautiful voice. Really good production and a surprising amount of originality for an album so late in her career. This is really good. 4/5
Massive Attack
3/5
This shit is boring as hell. Inconsistent too. Switching genres and quality. Not great. Not horrible. Can’t believe Jake just beat Mike. What the fuck guys. Pretty average, honestly. Not a phan of electronic. 3/5
The Stone Roses
4/5
Pleasantly surprised by how well this turned out. I enjoyed it. They blended genres fairly seamlessly. Nothing too offensive. It’s a good one. Unique and original. I’d certainly listen again. 4/5
Christina Aguilera
4/5
What an amazing fucking album cover. I’m not surprised that it’s an hour and eighteen minutes long. The album uses its length well, but falls a little short of being justified. Can say I never got bored. Plenty of range. Great arrangement. Beautiful composition and production. Her voice is beautiful, although they use it a little too much to the point that it almost becomes a crutch. Great intro, a perfect initiation to the album. Fighter is a bop. I was pleasantly surprised how many songs I knew of off this. I probably wouldn’t listen to the whole thing again, but certainly some songs. 4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This album doesn't slap the whole way through, but there are certain moments throughout the project that really hit you. "Killing Moon" is obviously the stand out here, but "Nocturnal Me" is also one of my favorites. "Thorn of Crowns" is annoying and unnecessary, but the album isn't long enough to where they could cut it. They did a good job with the arrangement of the songs by burying it in the middle, but what would have been ever better is if they had just made another banger. I enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. 4/5
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Great album. Will never listen to the entire thing again, not that it’s long, but it’s too much instrumental and not enough singing. I loved the last track. Otherwise, a tad dull. Opener was fun, but not sure it was quite necessary. I enjoyed it enough. 3/5
LTJ Bukem
1/5
1/5
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
This album feels way to dated for me to genuinely enjoy. This album does not contain the same timeless charm that their contemporaries were able to create. I suppose it was a little fun, but not enough to the point I would listen again. 3/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Annoying at best. However, it’s still only annoying at worst. This is not great. Not for me. Nah. 2/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
I’m not interested in this. Did not have any fun with this. Mostly inoffensive. Wasn’t much to latch on to if you know what I mean. 2/5
Simple Minds
3/5
Hard to hear the vocals because poor mixing. Surprising because the overall production is pretty solid, so you can’t say they weren’t paying any attention to it. Lyrics are cliche, cheesy, and boring. Writing is fairly original, but I wouldn’t go as far to unique. They aren’t nearly branching out far enough from their contemporaries here. It’s a fine album, but I leave uninterested. 3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Iconic shit, man. Dylan achieved what he set out to more than any other record. Great range of songs. Great lyrics, great instrumentation and production. I enjoy every track. It’s a double disc, but I see no reason to cut any songs. It’s beautiful and damn near perfect. 5/5
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
The first song I was just waiting for something to happen. It never did, not for the whole album. The second seemed like it had promise, but it all promises of something exciting for the whole song without ever actually getting to the excitement. I knew what I was in for by the third. Boring, nothing new. I was also getting annoyed by how he kept calling women females. Not a phan. Great production, though. 2/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
This is the Peppers at their best. I wouldn’t say any of it is awe inspiring. Maybe “Under the Bridge” comes close, but it’s mostly just quality songs. It gets a little dodgy with the last few tracks, but I’m not complaining. Didn’t need to be that long, though. 4/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Everybody always says what a great album Blue is. If you don’t ‘feel’ this one, then you don’t have feelings. Color me heartless the because I don’t get it. Great songwriting for sure. Everything produced and executed impeccably. Surely it’s what she set out to achieve. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it, but I won’t give it five stars. I’ve listened to this album maybe five times now and have never been able to discern what I’m supposed to pick up on or what’s supposed to really knock my fucking socks off. I don’t get the sense of loneliness that seems to be so prevalent for other people. Doesn’t come across for me. The songs have nothing to help tell them apart and it ends up as one big muddled mix. I don’t know. I wish I saw it. It’ll have to hold off on perfection for now and stick with exemplary. 4/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
? This is a live album, but it’s not even twenty five minutes. Surely he didn’t sell tickets to a concert shorter than that? Maybe he did. He did kill his wife so he could marry his underage cousin, so I hear. That aside, his vocals are average to below average. The playing feels like it has some more energy to it, which is my only plus. Production isn’t terrific as it is a live album. Who is this for. Why is it on the list? 2/5
The National
4/5
Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this having never heard of it nor the artist. Fantastic production, good lyrics, nice instrumentation. Writing was unique enough for me to enjoy, but the album as a whole wasn’t the most original and could sometimes feel a little monotonous. None of it was offensively bad, though. Otherwise, no complaints. Really enjoyed it. 4/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Like a lot of the stuff I listen to from Sonic Youth, I’m left feeling like I just listened to one long song rather than an album. Noise as a genre isn’t bad, but, typically, it’s not my thing. They do noise pretty well here, though a few tracks I can’t stand. 3/5
Oasis
3/5
Not their best. Not shite. Somewhere in the middle is where this one rests. Not one bad track, but none very few stand out and none of them are really bangers. Inoffensive, but blends in too well. Their next outing would do better. 3/5
Björk
4/5
I’ll give it to her; the production is fucking immaculate. It’s a goddamn masterclass and second to very few if any. The writing is unique and original. Feels fresh and alive. Lyrics waver between profound and pretentious, much like her vocal choices. Although, in my opinion, it’s more pretentious than anything else. Seriously what the fuck is she doing. It’s annoying and I can’t take it seriously. Honestly confused at how anyone can. I don’t listen to Björk, but I recognize her impact and talent. I know this is good, but I hope to never listen again. 4/5
4/5
Not the best by them, but a few solid tracks and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. Would have liked a but more range, but The Kinks are never a disappointment. 4/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
This really hits. Production, writing, instrumentation, vocals all complement each other so well. Everything works just as intended. Not a hair out of place. It’s long, but the length is justified. I’d say the second half is way better than the first.
Loved this album, their best??? 4/5
The Stooges
4/5
I really enjoyed this. Not life changing, but this is great. Lyrics, instrumentation, and writing all fucking rock. Probably listen again at some point. 4/5
Korn
3/5
The first four songs are pretty good. Obviously “Freak On a Leash” is iconic, but this album would be nothing without it. That song is the perfect example of what their sound and style is. If they didn’t have it, everyone would be left wondering what they’re supposed to be doing. What are they going for? Is it supposed to sound like this? It would all be pretty annoying. It still kind of is. The lyrics are trying a little too hard to be edgy. Instrumentation and production fucking rock. Vocals are honestly alright by me. Unique and achieving what they need. Writing is original. I’d expect this to be better, but they seem a little too try hard. ‘Look at me! Look at me! I’m dangerous’ vibes. Get over yourselves. Also way too long. They did NOT have that much material. I believe I’ll enjoy this (somewhat) once, but will not be happy if I need to listen again for whatever reason. 3/5
Gram Parsons
4/5
This was a nice calm country record. I really enjoyed. Not too many country albums on this list and I fucking love Emmylou. Good range, writing, lyrics, vocals, instrumentation, production, and arrangement. Just a really solid project. 4/5
Missy Elliott
4/5
This is a really solid album. If there were another one or two big hits, I could see people reasonably giving this a ten out of ten. Right now, people will unreasonably give it a ten out of ten. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great album and I really enjoy it, but it falls just short of historical. All the songs are put together very thoughtfully. It’s nice, I like Missy. 4/5
LL Cool J
4/5
This was cool. Didn’t feel dated at all and I don’t mean that sarcastically. I enjoyed all but the last song. LL Cool J puts the “cool” in cool, I suppose. Heh. Anyway. 4/5
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Why would he do this? Who wanted this? What was the purpose? Where was it supposed to get good? When am I supposed to listen to this? How did it have six songs over forty minutes, yet all felt like it was one five minute song? Is that a good quality? Do I want this to be better or do I want it to have never been made at all? Which would be better? Production was great, though. 2/5
Pixies
4/5
This feels a little messy, but has a lot of energy. Riffs are original and writing is unique. There’s a good amount of range that keeps you interest as well as the album only being 34 minutes long. Production and instrumentation are good. Vocals are unmistakable. I enjoy all of these songs and I enjoyed listening to the whole album, but it’s not one I’ll be listening to as a whole anytime soon. All of it is a bit much. One is great. 4/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Not the worst Brian Eno record I’ve heard, but I’m still phar phrom being a phan. It wasn’t annoying like some of his other stuff, which was nice. Not very difficult to get through. Length isn’t a problem. A respectable outing from Brian. 3/5
a-ha
2/5
Well, can’t say I’ve ever been proud to say I listen to a-ha. This album would be better if it was “Take On Me” ten times in a row and if you disagree you go finger a moose. Fughettaboutit. 2/5
Megadeth
4/5
Entertaining, phun, and hard a phuck. So many unique and individual riffs that it surprises me that they don’t stand out more. Maybe I need to listen to the album more, but perhaps the songs really do just sound quite similar. It isn’t enough for the tracks to all have a different key, tempo, and guitar lick. They also need to slow down once in a while or pick a different emotion for the songs. No one song is bad and a sub forty minute album isn’t going to get old unless you listen on repeat, but the album could have been much better. Still enjoyed it. Great album. 4/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Sounds just like every other Steely Dan album, but with less recognizable songs. This one doesn’t have that charm that they often seem to not be able to find. Some of these songs can drag just a bit. Sorry, Dan. You get better. 3/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
This is enough phun for me to listen to once. It is enough phun for many people to listen to twice. It’s enough phun for a few people to listen to all the time. For me, once is enough. I get it, got it. I know what you’re all about. I’m really not interested in seeing what else you got, but this was enjoyable enough. 3/5
Sabu
4/5
This was fun, quick, easy, loved it. It’s a nice little record to put on when you’re getting some things done around the house. I can only hope that it’s even better if you can understand what they’re saying. Not sure how original it is, but I’ll say it’s unique. Stands out and I enjoy it. 4/5
The Doors
4/5
Obviously, there are undeniable hits and classics on this album, like "Love Her Madly" and "Riders On The Storm". Then there's the experimental songs that make this album really interesting like, "L'America" and "Hyacinth House". I'd throw the title track into either of the two categories. Those are five of ten of the tracks that are absolutely amazing. The rest are blues tracks with varying ranges of energy. Some work, but "Crawling King Snake" was the most necessary. Overall, incredibly enjoyable album. 4/5
Red Snapper
2/5
Not the most disappointing electronic album, but still glaringly uninteresting. Just. So. Boring. 2/5
Genesis
4/5
Entirely too long, but it went by faster than other albums that are an hour and a half. There aren't any tracks that I think are necessarily 'bad', but there are plenty that could be considered unnecessary. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't really all that exciting. Was good. 4/5
Method Man
4/5
I can get behind this whole heartedly. It’s got a great flow, iconic features, beats are well integrated. Lyrics are what’d you expect from this era. No big hits, but I don’t mind. It’s fun throughout and I enjoyed it. I’d happily listen to any of these songs again. 4/5
The Beau Brummels
2/5
After every song, I struggled to remember what I was listening to and why. Not obnoxious or difficult to get through, but textbook forgettable. 2/5
Brian Eno
4/5
I actually enjoyed this one. Brian Eno usually means a long drawn out and boring hour. This was a lot more interesting than anything I’ve heard from him before. Solid range. The whole thing is really quite lovely, honestly. 4/5
The Doors
5/5
This album is just the right amount of drugs to create a perfect album. No bad songs. Maybe one or two that are more boring than others, but none bad. Lots of range, very original. Instrumentation is unique and exactly what it needs to be to match Jim’s iconic voice. I don’t see any reason why this can’t be a ten out of ten. Also, one of the best finales in all of music. 5/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Started off really strong. Really incredible song into one of the worst on the album. Wasn’t a bad song, just not where their strength lies. They thrive with a mellower song. Not necessarily slower, but softer. It did seem like they were trying to replicate “Just Like Honey” on some other songs like, “Sowing Seeds” and “You Trip Me Up”. They starts to feel like a bit of a one trick pony by the end of it. Not one bad song, though. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. 4/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
AGOOOONY. Beyond power of speech. Too much. And too much of nothing, as well. 2/5
Gang Starr
4/5
This is a really easy album to listen to. Flows together seamlessly with seamless flows. Some lines can be a little janky, but overall, more good than bad. Solid range. Samples are used interestingly, but not distractingly. Production is satisfying. I really enjoyed this. Solid. 4/5
Minor Threat
4/5
Twenty two fucking minutes and they still do more than some of the albums on here that are three times as long. Not in terms of range, all the songs blend together with few exceptions, but in energy. I understand it’s only twenty two minutes, but it still has my undivided attention for that time. All members are talented pertaining to both instruments and vocals. Everything is as it should be. Quite a nice little record they’ve made for themselves here. 4/5
Portishead
4/5
This thing is a powerhouse in originality the entire way through. Every second is something I’ve never heard any other artist do before. It’s wholly refreshing. that kind of originality, unfortunately, can lend itself to a ln album that is hard for some first time listeners to really latch on to. This is my second or third listen of this album the whole way through and I’m yet to be completely familiar with it, but it does grow on me with each listen. I’ll almost certainly listen again, as I very much enjoy it. The production is insane and complements the vocals perfectly. Beth Gibbons obviously has a distinct and unmistakable voice which helps to separate Portishead from their contemporaries. Instrumentation is beautiful and samples are used flawlessly. I have no qualms with the record other than a lack of range that could be a tad wider. Some tracks are hard to tell apart. That doesn’t bother me too much, though, love this. 4/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Holy shit I fucking love Willie Colón with all his effortlessly charismatic compositions that make it possible for Ruben to sound so cool. Blades’ lyrics complement both his own singing style as well as the rhythm and melodies laid down by Willie. This album is so much goddamn fun. Try not to enjoy it. I fucking dare you. No actually don’t. Let the whole thing take over and love it with no fucking thoughts whatsoever. I can’t understand most of what they’re saying and I believe that helps. Good shit, honestly. 4/5
Liz Phair
4/5
I admire the ability on this record to make all the songs sound distinct from each other. Really good arrangement. No song overstays its welcome, but the album as a whole is just a tad long. I’d’ve preferred she spend more time on a couple of her stronger songs to make them really special. I think she would have had something undeniably exemplary. Great vocals, instrumentation, and production. Lyrics are iconic. I really enjoyed this album. I’d only heard “Fuck and Run” before, but heard great things about Liz so I’m glad this met my expectations. 4/5
Neil Young
4/5
This all sounds so good. I mean sonically, production wise, the mixing. It’s like butter. Beautiful working together of all the instruments and his voice. Lyrics and writing are great. A few spots are questionable. He’s got two songs on here that are only a minute and a half. What’s up with that? Couldn’t come up with any way to make those longer? On the one hand, I respect the idea of having your song sung and not stretching it, but on the other hand, at that length, just scrap it. Also, “Oh, Lonesome Me” kinda felt out of place. Might just be on that one, though. I loved every other song. Great shit. 4/5
Os Mutantes
4/5
Now THIS is how you do psychedelic! Experimental without being annoying. Weird sounds that simply somehow go together. It’s great. I loved every song. Good work folks! 4/5
R.E.M.
4/5
It’s yellow. Orange maybe, but not green. They have an original sound. Uniquely them. Unique vocals, instrumentation, writing, production. It’s good. I enjoy it, but an album from them has always been daunting and a bit much by the end. Perhaps because my eighth grade math teacher played them nonstop. Not sure. I enjoyed every song individually, though. 4/5
XTC
4/5
This is fairly good. There are songs on this album that sound, to me at least, pretty clearly inspired from others. I’m not sure if I would say that’s derivative or if it’s paying homage. It’s all about how much they use and for the most part it isn’t too noticeable. For example “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” has some clear “Nature Boy” vibes going for it. The line between respecting the original and building upon it and just taking and using is hard to discern. Other songs seemed to do it better so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Otherwise, some songs could feel a little goofy, but wholly original and unique to the band. Especially instrumentally. Vocals aren’t the most groundbreaking thing I’ve ever heard, but they get the job done. I enjoyed most of it, but wouldn’t listen to the whole album again. Just specific songs and that’s alright. 4/5
Meat Puppets
4/5
I fucking love the Meat Puppets so much. Their ability to create a album where every track stands out as distinct is really impressive. Even instrumentals are entertaining and engaging. Vocals are unique and, in my opinion, that’s all that really matters. I’d rather have this Kirkwood’s wandering voice than some plastic Michael Bublé. I can enjoy the Bub, don’t get me wrong, but you don’t see him on this list for a reason. Every song is great and they all fit together like a cohesive album should. The whole project has a sort of futuristic-skateboard-western feel to it that they pull off flawlessly. Instrumentation and production are incredible, especially when matched with the vocals. The melodies are so timelessly catchy. Everything works so well. The lyrics are memorable if you’re able to understand them and don’t fall asleep from the low energy vocals. “Lake of Fire”, for example has some pretty energetic singing. I just wish the rest could be a little more like that. No other complaints, though. Enjoyed the whole thing. 4/5
The B-52's
3/5
I think the Fred’s voice is annoying. Always have. I can stand Kate, but there’s just something about the band that I can’t stand. Everything feels disconnected and janky. The instrumentation, the vocals, lyrics, writing, melodies, timing even. The whole thing makes me feel anxious. Good on ‘em if that’s what they were going for, but I don’t enjoy it. Sorry, but the B-52’s ain’t for me. 3/5
Arrested Development
4/5
This honestly started out super promising, but just got worse and worse in the second half. I really enjoyed all the songs up until about 'U'. At that point, the songs start to feel a little boring and forgettable. Especially the last song is like, the fuck? Why are we bringing god in to this? It's interesting because of how much I enjoyed the first half compared to the second. I will say, however, that "Tennessee" stood out too. Liked that one. Enjoyed most of it. 4/5
Blur
4/5
I love 'Beetlebum', obviously 'Song 2' is iconic, but then 'Country Sad Ballad Man' and 'M.O.R.' are just kind of forgettable. They fall into forgetfulness. 'On Your Own' is a little better. Not sure why he's singing so closely to David Bowie, but I don't necessarily mind it. It's a fun song. 'Theme from Retro' has an interesting intro, production wise, but ultimately ends up being pretty boring. Could have gone a lot of cool places, but decided to stay home is how I felt. I did really enjoy 'You're so Great'. That was nice. I liked the "chunky" production or however it was produced. The intro to 'Death of a Party' was really good. Really unique and original and well done. That energy stayed throughout the whole song. 'Chinese Bombs' felt like another sort of throwaway. Nothing there I latched onto. 'I'm Just a Killer for Your Love' was really nice. Felt authentic and I liked it a lot. The David Bowie impression returns for 'Look Inside America'. He stays for the next song, as well. The similarity isn't a bad thing, but just a tad derivative. 'Movin' On' is fine. Nothing too exciting going on there. The finale is just a bit long and drags. Not sure their goal on 'Essex Dogs', but I didn't get it. Overall, enjoyed the album, but it wasn't mind blowing. 4/5
4/5
Cut that swamp shit out and you got a fantastic record. Two really great songs and a bunch that are pretty good. They have a unique sound, they’re phun, they play well, they sing well. Production worked. Lyrics worked. No big issues. Very nice, enjoyed it a lot. 4/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Wildly underwhelming, honestly. Not sure if there’s anything here I hates, but there certainly wasn’t anything that excited me. I don’t think it’s actually bad, personally, it isn’t for me. 3/5
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
It was nice, but ultimately not the most interesting. Enjoyed it enough, though. 3/5
Tito Puente
4/5
This being a genre that I'm not entirely familiar with and also being in a language I don't wholly understand makes it a tad difficult to tell tracks apart, however there is still a recognizable amount of range here that, I think, is pretty impressive. This was just really phun, I enjoyed all of it. Good work, Tito. 4/5
Scritti Politti
2/5
This album makes me tired. I don’t want this. I don’t feel any part of this. Not the beats. Not the vocals. Feels disjointed to me. Not a phan. 2/5
David Crosby
4/5
This is nice. Not much else, just nice. The instrumentation laid down by the dead is phantastic. Backing vocals by Joni and Neil on certain songs are great. It’s all good, but nothing there to blow me away. They’re all incredibly talented artists and it really surprises me that they put out something so mid. I reckon that David was in charge here. He makes great melodies and writes very well, but he’s missing the excitement he has on other projects. I did thoroughly enjoy it, though. Would just have expected more. 4/5
Manu Chao
3/5
Annoying, but not that annoying, just kind of unimpressed as a whole. Sorry, Manu, you seem nice. 3/5
Boston
4/5
Excellent riffs. That really is my biggest takeaway from this album. They were truly unique. Everything else was good, not outstanding or anything, but definitely good. Vocals, instrumentation, and production all complemented each other well. Songwriting was noticeably thoughtful. I enjoyed it. Very good debut. 4/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
I must say, the production on this really feels like a debut album. That it is, of course, but it doesn’t need to be so noticeable. From what I had previously heard from them, this is a lot more raw, which I enjoy. Less commercialized pop-rock, more authentic telling of their boyhood. Not to say the lyrics and writing are anything revolutionary. Fairly on par. What I would expect. The songwriting isn’t the most original, but unique enough to keep things interesting. I found “Joe’s Head” particularly entertaining. Big late sixties early seventies soft rock vibe. Ultimately, I’m not bothered by this album, but see no reason for its inclusion on the list. Furthermore, I find its addition to be a tad insulting given the omission of other works by better artists that are certainly more worthy than this collection of mediocre, derivative, and relatively uninspired rock tracks. 3/5
The Style Council
2/5
First song felt like an intro to some eighties sitcom. Second track is an actual song. Though the inclusion of lyrics typically adds to the song, these lyrics left me more confused. What is he talking about? Feels pretentious. “My Ship Came In!” is another instrumental. These aren’t bad. The production is solid and instrumentation is very well done. They just need more. This track that features Tracey Thorn actually makes me feel bad for her. Like, don’t drag this talented singer into your nonsense project. Ok. What the hell. Why did he feel like he could pull that off. You know what song I’m talking about. What the hell. What’s with all the jarring changes in genres. I’m getting whiplash, this album is really succeeding in becoming one of the most annoying pieces of music I’ve ever had to listen to. If “You’re the Best Thing” was the only song I knew off this album, I’d probably be a little interested to hear the rest. Easily the highlight of the album and it isn’t even that good. I did not enjoy this and I do not feel at all bad about that fact. This doesn’t feel like a project that the artist put too much effort into. If he did, then that’s a fucking shame. 2/5
Tom Waits
4/5
While I can’t truthfully say that I enjoyed the whole album, I honestly believe in Tom’s talent. He makes music so unique and original. Like no other artist. It’s really incredible how different he sounds and how immediate you can tell him apart. Even with just his instrumentation. I find him best when he doesn’t try to strain his voice to sing. Just his old tired weary voice. Favorite tracks are “Who Are You”, “A Little Rain”, “Whistle Down The Wind”, and “That Feel”. This is solid and consistent and I can appreciate that musicianship without enjoying all of it. 4/5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
This really fucking sucks. Just pick a fucking genre, guys. What the fuck is this pretentious bullshit. This is actively insulting and occasionally problematic. Did not enjoy. 1/5
The Killers
5/5
I love this album with every fiber of my being and I don’t understand how some people don’t. Not only do they not enjoy it, they actively dislike it. How do you not hear it? It’s so good. I love every song on it and I have for a very long time, so maybe it’s nostalgia, but this is easily in my personal top ten. 5/5
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I’m not interested in pursuing whatever the fuck this is. “The Duchess” is a wild song. I have no clue what the goal was, but it was a new type of annoying. The rest was forgettable. There were bits that I enjoyed, but they were overshadowed by all the irritating parts. Didn’t really enjoy. 2/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
I’d give that, say, a little over three out of five. It wasn’t incredibly interesting vocally or production wise, but I suppose I was entertained throughout. However, there could’ve been more. Definitely could’ve been more. 3/5
TV On The Radio
3/5
Album so long and have so many minute, yet leave such few impression. It’s not offensive and even has some interesting experimental bits, but is ultimately fairly boring. 3/5
Radiohead
3/5
Not bad, but nowhere near their best work. Thom got too caught up in making interesting sounds that it seems he forgot to make art that audiences could connect with. My girlfriend said that to me and I 100% agree. It’s still experimental like all of their work is, but this time way more alienating to the listener. Very little to latch on to. Wasn’t a chore to listen to though, so maybe someday I’ll try again. 3/5
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I really enjoy this album. It’s a lot of phun and my personal favorite from the band. I feel like half of these are classic tracks for them. There isn’t a song I dislike. So much energy, so cheeky, so good. Start to finish I think it’s damn near perfect. 4/5
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
This was fun. Not entirely interesting, but way too long. 3/5
Primal Scream
2/5
This wasn’t fun. Not entirely interesting, but way too long. Side note, the hallway fire alarm in my building went off and I genuinely believed it was part of the song. This was not great. 2/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Hell yeah! This is great. Good amount of range. Solid production. Unique voice. They have an original sound without being annoying. Obviously “Heads Will Roll” is iconic, but I also enjoyed “Zero”. Karen O sounds a tad similar to Björk on that track, but actually listenable. I love “Soft Shock”. I thought “Skeletons” was great. “Dramatic” had a very nice crescendo. “Dragon Queen” is very lyrically entertaining. Finally, “Little Shadow” is fantastic finally. Really enjoyed the whole thing. 4/5
Bobby Womack
4/5
I liked all of this. Love Bobby’s iconic voice. He’s great. Every single song is a bop. Not an incredible amount of range, but noticeable enough to impress me for an album rather late in his career. Really phun stuph. Glad to have heard it. 4/5
Elton John
4/5
Exquisite. Starting with “Tiny Dancer” is a big mistake, though. “Levon” was great and so was the title track, but nothing else lived up to what we know Elton and Bernie are capable of with the opener so it makes everything else feel less-than by comparison. On their own, they’re fine songs. “Indian Sunset” gives me a weird feeling inside, but it’s a fairly good track. “Razor Face” was strange and beautiful ballad. Ballad? What is a ballad? Second half just doesn’t hit as hard as the first. Good album, but not incredible. Close to great. I enjoyed all of it. 4/5
Solomon Burke
4/5
Not the most groundbreaking, but I don’t think that’s what he was going for and if you just sit back and enjoy the music, you’ll see that it’s really just a good time. I love this, it’s great. 4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Why he say the N word?!? I know Elvis Costello has an exorbitant amount of albums on this list, but I’m not one of those that thinks they’re all undeserving. This project here, however, is. Accidents is a great opener, but the album really goes nowhere from there. Ultimately we reach the closer, which is iconic, but why couldn’t we have done anything with the other tracks. None of the songs are atrocious, maybe “Sunday’s Best”. None of the songs are awe inspiring. I enjoyed most of this. 4/5
Neneh Cherry
2/5
This isn’t great. I saw a review that said it was dated on release and I can only imagine. Across the whole album, the flow is inconsistent and choppy, the lyrics feel slapped together, poor arrangement, there’s commitment to some tracks and seeming afterthought to some others. “Buffalo Stance” was fine. “The Next Generation” felt like a poorly worded Miss America speech. It was pretty fun, but not good. 2/5
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Really enjoyed the opener as well as the first ten songs. Things got weird on “Marlene” when he was talking about being in love with a 17 year old. There is rarely an album that is this long/has this many songs that wouldn’t have benefited from some editing. Stop working on songs like “Breathless”, “Song of the Viking”, or your the game you got going on “Intro” and focus on really making some of these other tracks shine. “I Went to the Mirror”, example, could have used some more attention. The instrumentation is great. His singing is just what it needs to be. Structure is unique, production is thoughtful, and the writing is original. Lyrics can be a little meh, but ultimately, I really enjoyed this album. 4/5
Silver Jews
4/5
Some of these songs are pretty good, but some of these songs are just so verbose. At various points throughout the runtime it feels like they’re trying to be confusing on purpose. In the hopes of being seen as sophisticated? It just comes off as annoying. I liked most of it, though. Solid enough. 4/5
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Great album. Love Mike. He’s got a great voice. Good songwriting, good production, good lyrics, just *chefs kiss* mwah. Only wish there was a bit more breakup. Songs started to blend together a bit towards the end. Really enjoyed the whole thing, though. 4/5
Deerhunter
4/5
This is really good. Really strong songs. Very well written with a lot of emotion and care clearly throughout the entire process. I enjoy this a lot. This album came out fifteen years ago and still feels fresh and new. Nowhere on the album is there a song that stands out as incredibly exciting, but they are all fantastic. Love it. 4/5
Pink Floyd
4/5
Some of these lyrics can get a bit pretentiously confusing, see “Chapter 24”, in trying to make things psychedelic or sophisticated. I can’t tell what their goal was for some of it, but it’s pretty fun the whole way through. I’ve always liked “Bike” even though it’s pretty silly. I guess they’re all fairly silly songs. First half is stronger than the second, especially those first three songs. Not a huge phan of “Interstellar Overdrive”. The experimentation on here is really well done for the most part. They do a good job of being weird without being unlistenable. In this area, they, in my opinion, got worse before they got better. Strong debut, though. I like it. 4/5
Bert Jansch
4/5
I’m glad to see Bert’s on the list. I don’t hear him discussed much and that’s a shame because he makes such beautiful music. This album, probably his best, is absolutely wonderful. His style of playing guitar perfectly complements his energetic, yet weary voice. His melodies are gorgeous and the whole of the songs are so well written. I only wish the instrumentals felt as finished as the others. Otherwise, love this album. 4/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
This album keeps getting better with each re-listen. Elliotts best work in my opinion. A masterpiece from start to finish. So well made. Everything from the production to the singing to the instrumentation and songwriting complement each other perfectly. Not a song, lyric, or note out of place on the entire record. It really easily and simply transports you right into his world so effortlessly. So few albums do that as effectively. It’s got great range. Songs from all walks of life that still feel connected. It feels like it was crafted with great care and caution. One of my favorites of all time. Really good shit here. 5/5
The United States Of America
4/5
I love how unapologetically psychedelic this is. They are fucking EXPERIMENTING. And it works really well. Every song feels so different and unique from one another while also remaining mostly true to the albums sound as a whole. This just hits perfect and scratches that itch for me. I really enjoyed it. 4/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I don’t get why this is “Bob Marley & The Wailers” when it’s the original trio of Bob, Bunny, and Peter. You can see on the album that it just says “The Wailers”. I understand Bob wrote most of the songs, but it feels as though they’re erasing Bunny and Peter. As far as the music on this album, it’s fantastic as always. Both political and groovy. Very well done to all involved parties. Love this. 4/5
Saint Etienne
3/5
I suppose I don’t mind what they did to Neil Young’s song, nor do I really mind the radio broadcast intro, but it must get better after that. It must get more interesting, original, unique, and exciting, yet this album does no such thing. It immediately hits its highest note (not that great a cover, honestly) and it’s all downhill from there. “Wilson” is a repetitively annoying song. Stop asking him if he’d like some goddamned sweets, he is CLEARLY not interested. “Carnt Sleep” is fine. “Girl VII” failed to interest me. “Spring” is the most fun the album gets, which is an insult. I won’t continue to go through what I think of each song because I can only imagine how exhausting it would be for someone to read, but you must know it is exhausting for me to have to think about. The whole thing is pretentious. Not for me, but not wholly terrible. 3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
“Fuck women”. What an idea for an album. What an ego these guys must have to all be in a state of upset with their respective love interests and all come to the conclusion that women be crazy AND THEN create such a banging group of songs. They aren’t all great, but some of these are iconic. Depending on which version you listen to, you get a different taste. The US version has “Paint It Black”, which is great, but it also has “Going Home” as the final track and no “Mother’s Little Helper” or “Out of Time”. I’d say that the British version is better curated, but they’re both within a margin of error that gives them the same score. This isn’t the best the Stones have to offer, but I enjoy it. Also, don’t sleep on “I Am Waiting”, shit goes hard. 4/5
Nirvana
5/5
Most of the time, live albums on this list annoy me. They feel a little like cheating, in that, the artist gets to choose songs that they already know are hits. While there are some definite Nirvana classics on the set list, bigger bangers could have been chosen. Kurt made this list out of songs that he personally enjoyed to play—not crowd favorites (notice the omission of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”). What’s interesting is that all the songs that are by Nirvana feel like they’re being covered. They aren’t played as they were recorded. It’s a completely original performance of each song so it doesn’t feel like cheating like other live albums do. The actual covers are also fantastic. Obviously, the Bowie cover is incredible, as well as the three Meat Puppets tracks. “Jesus Don’t Want Me for a Sunbeam” is such a specific song to choose, but it works so well. What I really enjoy most, though, is the finale by Leadbelly. What a strange song to end with, my favorite on the album. He just did whatever he wanted and he fucking killed it. 5/5
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
This jam session was not as interesting as I believe they thought it was. Probably great for whoever was there or maybe if I was stoned. Oh well, too long, not for me. 2/5
Orbital
1/5
Fairly heinous stuff. Actively sounds as if it’s trying to be headache inducing. At least I’ve never heard of this album or the artist, which means the masses have forgotten its existence. Swear to god, whoever made this list has a special hard on for electronic music. I think it’s actually impossible to defend this album without seeming pretentious. A quote from the second track strikes me as ironic. “Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day”. Makes me think of whoever made this. Even someone just fucking around (and I really mean fucking around) in the studio can create something that resembles a song. These things on this ‘album’ resemble songs, but, reader, do not be fooled. They are actually experiments in sound. What’s the difference, you may or may not be wondering? A song is music. This is annoying. And another thing. If you’re going to fuck around in the studio and make ‘songs’ (experiments in sound), at least have the courtesy of keeping it short. This is over an hour. This is a one star for me. Pretty easy one star. 1/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
You can hear the care and time they took to craft this album if you cared to listen for it. A longing for a recreation of the past while realizing that any attempt at resurrection would feel inauthentic. The songs are fun to listen to while still being unique to the band. They’re experimental enough to be original and have something to say. Vocals, instrumentation, and production are all fine. Nothing bad there, but nothing stands out to me. Songwriting is very good at some parts, but flatter in others. I imagine it would be difficult to keep the momentum up for an album that’s over an hour, yet I don’t doubt that the subject matter warranted the time they yielded it. I enjoy this more with each listen, but it always gets to feeling repetitive with some songs. It’s great, I like it, go Arcade Fire. 4/5
Thundercat
4/5
The album is, while a little longer than most, not actually that long. Just over fifty minutes is a respectable time for a record. The length issue is that of the number of tracks. You’re cramming (yes cramming) 23 songs onto an album that doesn’t reach an hour and it feels bloated. Expand your stronger songs. Expand “Uh Uh”. Expand “Jethro”. Get rid of “Rabbot Ho”, “Day & Night”, and “I Am Crazy”. It made everything feel a little directionless, which, maybe, is what he’s going for. He does a very good job of the avant-garde singing style and songwriting in a way that feels sporadic and can also satisfy the basic needs. There’s nothing annoying here. In fact, all songs are good. Some could have been better. I enjoyed this very much, though. Phun, phun, phun. 4/5
David Bowie
4/5
What an extraordinary man, that David. Side one slaps hard with a banging opener. Rolls into a pretty song and then into one Bowie’s greatest achievements. ““Heroes”” is one of the best songs ever written. Just the right amount of experimental mixed with fun. The next two are great as well, but I take issue with side two. There’s two lines across four out of fives songs. Closer is great, but that ambient music detour did not do it for me. I know, for me, instrumentals are a personal gripe of mine, but as far as they were on this particular album, I’ll take it. Overall, very enjoyable, Mr. Bowie. Thanks. 4/5
The Libertines
3/5
You ever make an album with fourteen pretty good songs on it, but it’s actually the same song dressed in fourteen different outfits? If you need any help, contact The Libertines in 2004. They’ll be sure to have some insight. 3/5
The Gun Club
3/5
I like this post-punk SoCal album fairly well. It’s raw and unashamedly gritty. The vocals are all over the place, but they usually don’t need to be anything more than that. Occasionally however, there comes a point when the songwriting requires some complementary singing and Jeffrey just isn’t always able to provide that. I liked this album up until the last two. “Cool Drink of Water Blues” is much too long for its boring premise and “Goodbye Johnny” holds no interest. Everything else fucks pretty hard. I enjoy it. 3/5
Morrissey
4/5
This was one of the more fun Morrissey albums I’ve had to endure. Never been a big phan of his, but I enjoyed this. Good range. Lyrics are decent. He’s doing his best not to be pretentious, or maybe, he just didn’t feel self conscious when he made it. Some of them be silly, but for the most part, a good solid album. Nice work, bud. 4/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
The bands best album. In my opinion, yeah. They have the perfect mixture of their own craziness while being dedicated to the craft in a way they had ignored on previous projects. They’ve grown just enough to expand and improve on their own sound while still staying true to themselves. The psychedelic guitar solo at the end of “Savior” is, in my opinion, the best example of this. Some songs don’t work. “Emit Remmus”, “I Like Dirt”, “Purple Stain” are all a little trite and taxing. You’ll notice that all of those songs are on side two and all the giant smash hits like, “Around the World”, “Scar Tissue”, “Otherside”, and “Californication” all take up side one. Horrible arrangement there. I also think that, although original and occasionally interesting, the decision to focus on a theme of trying to schedule the American dream in California is, ultimately, a very niche one. Other than that, these songs are laid back fun. Lyrics are occasionally inspired and insightful. Other times not so much. Instrumentation feels energetic or relaxed when it needs to be either. Fresh sound for them, but works well. 4/5
The Byrds
3/5
The Byrds have an instantly recognizable, unmistakable, and unique sound. Unfortunately, on this album, they aren’t putting it to any good use. The songs are fine, mostly. None of them are insulting, but it’s all fairly forgettable. I enjoyed each song, independently, but as a whole album, it’s sorta, like, what’s the point? Fine work. 3/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
Why the hell is this the second Kings of Leon album I’ve encountered. They’re not that good. One was enough. There isn’t anything heinous happening in this album. The breakdown in the opening track is quite nice and feels fresh, actually. I will say, however, that his voice starts to get on my nerves very quickly. It just is not working for me. Everything here is fine, but not good enough to be in the top 1001. 3/5
Mudhoney
4/5
This super phun. Great energy. Many feelings here, but not many emotions. It’s certainly good, but six songs at twenty minutes just isn’t long enough. Enjoyed it immensely though, wish they could have expanded. 4/5
The Bees
4/5
While listening, and thoroughly enjoying, the first song on this album, I was quite surprised to be reading many reviews that said this album had only two or three good songs. That first track was hitting all the right spots for me. I couldn’t believe that the rest of the album could fumble. The second track was also pretty good and sounded different enough to start developing range. The third was an alright reggae/ska inspired ditty. Wasn’t impressed, but it wasn’t offensive. By “Binnel Bay”, I was back to enjoying the music, but it had an instrumental intro that went on a bit too long for how short the whole thing is. The next is basically an instrumental, and not a horrid one or anything, but not my favorite. Then a cover that works fine, no big complaints. “This Town” was a nice return to form. Not a standout song, but I enjoyed it. “Sweet Like a Champion” gave us some range that, by this point on the record, was much needed. “Lying in the Snow” started slow, but built to something I can definitely appreciate, before falling of into something much less interesting than what it looked like they could have done. “Zia” is another rather boring and definitely too long instrumental. Final track is another banger. Highs and lows here, but I like it. Neither the production, vocals, nor the instrumentation are anything groundbreaking. All fairly standard stuff. I believe what sets them apart, if anything, is their melancholy songwriting. I understand that that’s not for everyone, but it is for me. Enjoyed it greatly. 4/5
Bad Company
3/5
Inoffensive, boring, dad rock music. It’s fine. Just fine. 3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
This is the third CCR album I've gotten on this list (there are only three CCR albums on the list) and, still, none of them have been "Willy and the Poor Boys". The omission is frustrating, but not my gripe with this pick. I don't mind this album. It certainly isn't better than "Willy and the Poor Boys", but it's close. Very close. No bad tracks on here, no huge improvements from the previous album they had released less than year prior. I'm not sure, but maybe they would have benefited from delaying a release to really work these songs out and make something truly special. I don't know. The instrumentation, vocals, and production all complement each other very well. It's fun. I like it a lot. Great work boys. 4/5
Goldie
1/5
Absolutely fucking not. I hated this. FUCK. THIS. ALBUM. 1/5
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Jam sessions. We got a good eleven jam sesh songs here. Give up for the JAM! This album doesn’t say nothing deep, nor will it ask you to think critically. Fifty minutes of uninterrupted easy, breezy, fun. What a world. 3/5
Fugazi
4/5
I loved how hard this went. Riffs were incredible. Bass hit really well, vocals were just what they needed to be, excellent production, great songwriting. This was really pretty good and I enjoyed the whole thing. Not a big phan of the instrumentals, but very well done. 4/5
Little Richard
4/5
I remember the day back in 2020 when Little Richard died. I listened to every album he had, obviously starting here. One of the pioneers of rock n’ roll. True legend. Limitless inspiration. His boundless energy on this album makes its relatively short runtime feel jam packed with power. Not a dud on the whole thing. It’s like, whatever song he’s given, he will make the most out of and perform the shit out of. Great showman. Only complaint is that the band doesn’t seem to be able to keep up with him. 200% effort guys, come on. Let’s keep up. 4/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
JIMI! Love this guy. In my opinion, everything he touches turns to gold. He can do no wrong in my eyes, except letting Noel sing lead on a song. Why do that? Anyway, Jimi is great and so is every song on this album with no exceptions. Banger on banger. “EXP” is a bit long for an intro, but also funny so I give it a pass. All love. 4/5
Mudhoney
3/5
I enjoy the energy, production, and style on this album. The vocals and instrumentation are fairly average. Songwriting isn’t great. Arrangement is bad. The middle, oddly enough, is where this thing really shined, for me. “Broken Hands” and “Who You Drivin’ Now?” are my favorites. Not very much range. The whole thing suffers from a bit of creative burnout in my most pretentious of opinions. I like all of these songs individually, but all at once is a bit daunting. Let’s go Mudhoney! 3/5
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
I like this guy’s style on this one. All good vibes. No worries. “Desert Blues” really does fit so well. Great instrumentation and vocals, when they’re present. Good stuff. 4/5
808 State
1/5
Respectfully, fuck this shit. 1/5
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
Did there need to be a rock opera about Lynyrd Skynyrd and the effects they've had on the American south? I don't know. Does it work? Not as effectively as it could have. I don't know that these guys have the talent to do what needed to be done to make this album something special. It was fun. Too long. Educational, which is not something I often say about an album. I liked it, but it was a little messy and could have used a tad more editing before release. 4/5
Traffic
3/5
“Glad” is too long of an instrumental to be that boring. Either shorten it or add lyrics. It wasn’t that interesting. “Freedom Rider” has very similar instrumentation, so what’s the point? “Empty Pages” is a fucking banger, as always. “Stranger to Himself” is good. The title track is alright, but not good enough to be the albums namesake. Finale was a little dull, but whatever. This album’s alright. Enjoyed most of it. 3/5
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Incredible album in every facet. Great songwriting, great arrangement, great structure. Never has there been a better album for people in situationships. Unrequited love has never felt so timelessly put into song. The vocals are obviously iconic. The instrumentation and production are everything they needed to be and more. The decision to use doo-wop style rhythms for songs about people in fucked up relationships is just a joy. The contrast between the beats and lyrics makes this album unforgettable. Love it from start to finish. So many bangers. Can’t get enough. 5/5
Shack
3/5
This is fun, but there is no range. Just forty five minutes of jolly indie rock pop. It’s fine, nothing incredible, but it works. 3/5
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Not an incredible amount of range, is there? Great voice, instrumentation isn’t keeping up, in my opinion. Production isn’t great either, but I enjoyed it for the most part. Don’t know that it’s my scene, but I respect it. 3/5
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Wow! It’s all the same. They certainly have a distinct sound, but it isn’t defined enough on their debut. Don’t worry guys, it gets better. 3/5
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Good but a little annoying if you know what I mean. As in, the fuck were they talking about? Tits on the radio, I suppose. God bless! 3/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Here we complete Leo’s original “Songs” trilogy with a wonderful collection on his sophomore record. What a pretentious sentence I’ve just written. Anyways, as always with Mr. Cohen, we have; beautiful lyrics, gorgeous songwriting, good structure, good instrumentation, good production. His vocals, though not technically savvy, are iconic. A truly phantastic poet. Not as many hits as his first and third albums, but still very very solid. Enjoyed the whole thing. 4/5
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
The only song of substance on this half hour long album of ramblings is the finale. “Whiskey Woman” is the only song that feels like there was an intention while writing and recording. Not to say none of the other songs are good, they’re fun, but they don’t deliver any substance. Not vocally, not for writing, not for production, and not for instrumentation. I enjoyed it, though. 3/5
Beyoncé
4/5
This is fun. Not my favorite from her, but there’s a good amount of experimentation and openness on this. Arrangement is good, production is stellar, vocals are obviously perfect. I don’t know, though, do we need over an hour of this? Some tracks just keep going in a way that gets to feeling like self aggrandizement. I’m starting to use big words so I guess it’s time to end the review. 4/5
Cat Stevens
4/5
First thing I noticed is a little nerdy; the production here is fantastic. It sounds as though it could have been recorded today, yet it’s over a half century old. Listen to how those instruments just pop. Real nice. Vocals are fairly iconic and complement the instruments well. It all blends together smoothly to make a very satisfying combination. The songwriting and musical arrangements are beautiful on all songs, even if the lyrical content can stray from perfection. Although, a good number of these songs are downright gorgeous, start to finish. The intro and two massive hits, obviously, but also the intro to “Sad Lisa” is flawless. I don’t know if it’s just the way that instrument sounds or if it’s the way it’s mixed, but it’s absolutely gorgeous. The breakdowns in that song as well as “Miles From Nowhere” are fantastic and energetic, yet still controlled. “Longer Boats”, “Into White”, and “On the Road to Find Out” are where the album can get pretty boring. Not much going on those. Last track is a nice closer. All in all, pretty great stuff. 4/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Kinda boring and pretty forgettable. Not offensive or anything, just very meh. 3/5
3/5
They did a really good job on this one, especially by the fourth or fifth song, on making the tracks blend right into the background. I wasn’t even paying attention. Got real boring real fast. Nothing big special on here, but nothing big offensive either. The finale of “Chemical World (Including “Intermission”)” is annoying, but otherwise, a very meh album. 3/5
Big Star
4/5
I don’t think this is the most original glam rock album, but it’s still fairly innovative and incredibly influential. It’s phun and doesn’t get annoying. Production, vocals, instrumentation, and songwriting are all solid. Range isn’t great, but there’s a little. I enjoy this a lot. 4/5
Pulp
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than the last time I listened. Starting to pick up on things more. I think the range is fantastic, the songwriting is wonderful, lyrics are good, instrumentation is good. Really solid album with some really solid songs. 4/5
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Production is really nice. Songwriting, vocals, and lyrics are fine. “Get Innocuous!” is too long and annoying. “Time to Get Away” is just too annoying. “North American Scum” is alright, it’s fine, but not for me. I enjoyed “Someone Great” and “All My Friends” was a lot of phun. “Us v Them” is too long and annoying. “Watch the Tapes” and “Sound of Silver” are annoying, if not, forgettable. “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” is pretty good. I like that one. 3/5
Buck Owens
3/5
Some classics on here, but none of them are really the definitive versions. It's a solid country album and I enjoy it a lot, but I also recognize that there isn't much here besides the strong songwriting. 3/5
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Maybe a bit too long, but it made a damn good effort to have enough range for a whole hour. Otherwise, a nice album, nothing too innovative, but very lovely to listen to. 4/5
The Modern Lovers
4/5
This is great. Don’t know why I expected it to be boring, but it felt very fresh, engaging throughout the whole thing, and very phun. Really enjoyed it. Glad to have heard it. 4/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
For an album all about love, be sure does seem to focus on himself a lot and rarely the other person in the relationship. The vocals are uninteresting. The lyrics are absolutely meh at best and offensive at worst. The best part of this was its, promoted, short length. The orchestral arrangements were pretty good, too. I quite enjoyed them. Otherwise, big whatever from me. 2/5
The Stooges
4/5
I liked this a lot and it continues to be a huge influence on the music scene, but it’s lack of emotional and lyrical range paired with the one-note songwriting game away it’s perfection. 4/5
Dr. Octagon
2/5
Just was not at any point interested. Sorry, couldn’t get into it. On top of that too long! 2/5
Sam Cooke
4/5
Gotta be honest, if I got to the Harlem Square Club in 1963 to see Sam Cooke perform and he only did 39 minutes I’d be like “Wish there was more, but I’ll take what I can get, he’s insanely good”. As an album, though, it does work. Full of energy and excitement. I’m opposed to live albums as a concept on a ‘best of’ list, but this is great. 4/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I like The Allman Brothers Band and I enjoy this album, but it's not that great. The first and last tracks are pretty darn good. "Done Somebody Wrong" and "Stormy Monday" are fine and inoffensive, but not mind blowing. "You Don't Love Me" ends up ultimately feeling pretty messy, even with the stellar instrumentation. The next track on the album, after a song that ends with ten-ish minutes of instrumental work, is a fucking instrumental. This did not need to be included. The album was long enough. Plenty long enough. Holy shit, you wouldn't believe what kind of song that comes after that instrumental. It ends up being around a half an hour of instrumental playing. Fuck that. Finally, after nearly an hour, we reach the last track. Oh, good. Something familiar. We love "Whipping Post". Not a terrible performance, but not worth an hour of waiting either. 3/5
Eminem
4/5
Intro’s pretty original and fairly good for an intro. “My Name Is” is a great song for the first song off his first album. Beats from Dre are really solid. “Guilty Conscience” is a really fun and original idea for a song. You can tell he’s having fun while making this and it’s infectious in a lot of places. Other places it feels like he saying things only for shock value. I get the anger aspect of it and wanting to communicate that, but it mostly gives an air of, “Look how edgy I am”. Can be a little cringey. Anyways, I enjoy most of these songs. A whole Eminem album is a bit much for me, personally, but this one’s good. 4/5
4/5
This was nice, a bit long in parts, but ultimately very groovy. Loved “Cisco Kid”. “Where Was You At” was pretty good too. “City, Country, City” was a tad too long considering all it ended up accomplishing. “Four Cornered Room” was really phun and introspective. The title track, while a bit long, is really very satisfying. Finally, “Beetle In the Bog” is a great little track to close out the album. Instrumentation, vocals, and songwriting stood out as being real solid. Structure and arrangement were great. Lyrics and production were good, but could have benefited from a little more work. A lot of the songs also have a old-timey, western feel to them that draws comparisons between the ghetto and the wild west. Pretty interesting stuff and a good first listen. 4/5
R.E.M.
3/5
The album gets progressively worse until you hit the middle, where they slapped their hits, and the continues to get worse. I liked “Fireplace”, though. Whole thing was too repetitive, could have benefited from some better arrangement of the tracks. Split up your two big hits, why don’t ya? Oh well, pretty good, even if I’m not R.E.M.s biggest fan. 3/5
Lou Reed
4/5
Lou Reed has such an iconic voice, but there isn’t a lot he can do with it. It is what it is. If you don’t write songs with some interesting instrumentation or production, it gets difficult to stay tuned in. I will say, there is no quicker way to turn me off than to play the sounds of crying children. Blegh! Grow up. Not interested in that. The lyrics are great. At least, they're very Lou. Songwriting, though it lacks range, is pretty good. It's really impressive that he can expand a song he made from a previous record into an entire album. Not my favorite Lou Reed album, but definitely a solid piece of work right here. 4/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I looked at the track list before listening and saw that there were four songs over seven minutes, two of which reach ten minutes long, and was feeling a little doubtful. I was right. That length was not justified. Not in a single one of those long songs. “Farmer John” sucks. At least they had the decency not to drag that out. That song and the finale. What a strange piece. Guitar is to similar to Jimi playing the American National Anthem and the lyrics were way too preachy. In fact, all the lyrics on this album are sub par compared to the rest of Neil’s entries on this list. This album is a strange inclusion. The production, songwriting, vocals, instrumentation, etc. It’s all worse than the others. Noticeably. However, I enjoyed it and had fun listening. It’s a fine record, but not for a list like this. 3/5
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Too many of these tracks have better versions. Frank could never give “Mood Indigo” the same energy that Nina Simone gave it. Who could do “I Get Along Without You Very Well” better than Chet Baker? Ray Charles or Billie Holiday on “When Your Lover Has Gone” just sounds so much cleaner. I could go on, but you get my point. Obviously, Ol’ Blue Eyes has a wonderful voice and is an incredibly gifted singer. Also, on this project he’s working with one of the best bands of his time. The writing, though it has almost nothing to do with Frank, is awesome. My favorite is “Deep In a Dream”. The sound effect they have after the line, “My cigarette burns me, I wake with a start”. Iconic. BWAHHH!!! There a few real fun parts on this album and the title track is so fucking beautiful from start to finish. Credit to Frank for writing the last track on the album. The first of only seven he ever wrote. This album gets the job done and some people even consider it one of the first concept albums. Not sure about that, but I certainly enjoyed it. 4/5
5/5
How do I begin with such a perfect album. I’ll never do it justice. David’s absolute best album. Not a single flaw anywhere on here. I have nothing bad. Anything aspect of an album you can think of. On here, perfect. Love it. Love it. Love it. 5/5
Ramones
4/5
They aren’t the most talented musicians (they started 10/14 songs with “ONE TWO THREE FOUR!”), but what they lack is skill, they make up in heart (they were very energetic “ONE TWO THREE FOUR!”s). The energy is off the charts in every song. The songwriting is fairly sparse, but it gets the job done. You don’t buy a Ramones album if you’re looking for range. It achieves what it set out to and I just enjoy it a lot. 4/5
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Compared to his other entry on this list, "Want One", I could almost copy and paste my review for that album and put it down here. Still very heartfelt, I still enjoy listening more than I think I will, still pleasantly surprised, still simple, yet entirely complex, still a great album start to finish, if not, a little repetitive. Main difference to me are the opener and closers. They stand apart from the rest of the album (as well as the previous album) as being freeingly experimental. I enjoyed that a lot, but for the rest of the tracks, not as good on the whole as Want One. Otherwise, hurrah. 4/5
Roni Size
1/5
I hate this. 1/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Didn’t care for. Too boring. Stop moaning about and do something interesting. 2/5
Tears For Fears
3/5
Rather boring and pretentious. Couple massive hits, but aside, nothing great. Good album for the boys. Bad album for me. 3/5
Harry Nilsson
4/5
An album for the morning time. Gets you up and going or enhances that sleepy dazed feeling you get when you wake up earlier than usual. All the songs feel like they match up and belong on the same album together while at the same time all having range. I’ll say that the two blues covers felt out of place. They’re too iconic for a white man to try and achieve a folk-rock cover in the seventies. Otherwise, the writing, singing, instrumentation, production, and lyrics were all fantastic. No complaints there. I enjoy this album very much. 4/5
Hookworms
3/5
This is possibly the most inoffensively boring album on this list. The most forgettable without being annoying at all. This album will have no effect on my life whatsoever. Just a passing breeze, “that was nice, now it’s over, moving on”. I enjoyed a part of one of the songs. 3/5
Can
3/5
Jazz rock. Pretty boring. There’s probably something in here that’s new, original, unique, and inspiring, but I didn’t pick up on anything. Just background noise for the most part. Sorry. Inoffensive, though. 3/5
Morrissey
4/5
Either Morrissey is growing on me or this album is better than the others. I just enjoyed this a lot more than my usual outing with him. Pleasant experience on this Easter Day. 4/5
Waylon Jennings
4/5
This is some good old fashioned honky tonkin’ fun. Waylon performing during his peak. Every song glides so smoothly from chord to chord. Vocals, writing, lyrics, production, and instrumentation are all great and blend together seamlessly. This is a fun album and I enjoy it a lot. Why so short, though? 4/5
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Less difficult to listen than I thought it would be, but also less political. More songs of love on here. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed any of it, but it was by no means a chore to get through. I probably would have liked this if I was a rebellious 80s teenager. The vocals are instantly iconic. Instrumentation is fine, it’s there and serves its purpose. Songwriting and production are really good. I’ll admit to liking “The Last Day of Our Acquaintance” enough to add it to my library, but then she hit me with the a cappella shit and I was not having it. 4/5
Stephen Stills
4/5
This was fun and refreshing. I didn’t expect there to be so much experimentation on here and the experimentation worked so well. Every song worked. All but “Black Queen”. That one wasn’t really doing it for me. To each their own and all, but it came off as boring among tracks that were, at the time at least, very original. I enjoyed the whole thing thoroughly. 4/5
Blur
3/5
I don’t mind Blur, but this album seemed really repetitive compared to some of their others that are on this list. Why there are multiple Blur albums on this list, only the brit who made it can answer. The songs themselves were fine, some were good, few were bad, most were fine. Nothing anywhere on here to write home about, but it works. 3/5
Giant Sand
2/5
Relentlessly boring. Nothing to add, just make it end so I can listen to something else. I kept turning it up because I couldn’t hear it before I realized that my brain was just actively tuning it out. No other album I’ve ever listened to was as easy to tune out as this one. 2/5
Adele
4/5
Love Adele! One of the best singer-songwriters of our time. All eleven songs on this album are incredibly vulnerable and packed with emotion. Obviously the singing is incredible. She has one of the best, most expressive voices of all time. Songwriting is underrated. Production is everything it needs to be. She keeps it exciting throughout the whole project. I love this. This is one of those albums that just *barely* misses the perfect score mark. Still, a wonderful success. 4/5
The Cult
2/5
“OH YEAH BABY! MAKE ME CRAZY! AHH BABY! BABY BABY BABY!” There you go. I’ve just summed up the whole album. There’s also a cover of “Born to Be Wild” that only makes me feel guilty for having listened to such a poor rendition. Instrumentation includes pounding drums, lifeless bass, and a very lively guitar that will float around the minor pentatonic scale if it wants to do a solo, which it will at least once a song. Production isn’t great, which is surprising considering it’s Rick Rubin, but all of their albums sound like this so I wonder if it’s intentional? Vocals are unique, but after forty minutes, annoying. Lyrics are nothing special. I enjoy this band, but not for a whole album. Maybe my enjoyment doesn’t even endure three of their songs. Oh well, baby. 2/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do. I don’t mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There’s no reason for it, we got to go sometime.
Björk
2/5
I seriously will never understand the appeal of Björk. I believe that she’s talented, but only because I hear it from people over and over again. I can’t tell any song apart from another. There’s no range. No emotion. No fun. The vocals are unlistenable. Production is a one trick pony. What am I supposed to be listening for? 2/5
10cc
3/5
“The Wall Street Shuffle” is the most commercial sounding anti-capitalist song I’ve ever heard. It’s very strange. “Hotel” is just “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard”. Completely able to tune out the is whole album if I so chose. When I chose to tune in, I enjoyed what I heard, but I guess not enough to keep me interested for too long. The production is good. Original and unique. I enjoy it. Lyrics, instrumentation, and vocals are all fine. Ultimately, I’m left feeling unimpressed. 3/5
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
These guys couldn’t fumble a verse if they tried. The flows are effortless. Every single one of these guys went on to make an iconic record of their own. Samples are perfect. Production is perfect. Lyrics are funny and dark when they need to be. They make their life experience in New York sound like an operatic drama. This record is flawless. I love it. 5/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
I don't really love this album. People I talk to about it describe it as if it's something holy to behold. I never got that impression. From the first time I heard "Maggie May", I was incredibly underwhelmed. Apart from all the expectations this didn't live up to, it was a good album. Probably my favorite solo album by Rod. Songs were fine, lyrics were fine, production was fine. The only big thing this has going for it is Stewart's energy and voice, but they aren't enough to carry the album. Someone should have noted that not all elements of this project were on the same scale of quality. Oh well, just me being a wet rag. I enjoyed it enough. 3/5
MC Solaar
3/5
Really fun at first, but it gets repetitive. Maybe if I spoke the language, I’d’ve had a better time. Flow is good, production is good, beats, samples, and arrangements are good. Just wasn’t blown away. 3/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
This album just feels chaotic. What the fuck are they doing? What the fuck are they talking about? How did this beat out Abbey Road for album of the year in 1970? Especially considering the majority of it wasn’t written by them. Vocals aren’t particularly attractive either. Instrumentation is good if that’s the type of thing you’re in to, but classic rock jazz gets on my nerves unless Chicago is doing and, by the fucking way, there isn’t a single thing they do on this album that Chicago hasn’t done better. The only bit I really enjoyed was the part of “Spinning Wheel” when he says “and show you the colors that are real” and his voice gets all weird on the word ‘real’. On the whole, though, it all feels self-congratulatory. If this is the best they have to offer, I’ll go elsewhere. 2/5
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
This has a great stench of a debut album. An artist who hasn’t quite found their style yet. In the first song, he sounded like Elvis Costello. His voice never seemed to be able to find the right note to sing. Guitar solos feel shoehorned. Just little things like that are what brings this down. On top of that, there are none of his big hits on this one so I wonder why they included it? This isn’t terrible. I enjoy Lenny, but he has so much better than this to offer. 3/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Feels like the album the came after a massive success. As if all of their bestest, most creative ideas have been spent on something else. Not to say this is a bad album, I think this is perhaps number two. Just falls a ways. Production was excellent, instrumentation was spot on, songwriting was unique to them, lyrics were fresh and interesting. I didn’t mind the length on this one, felt justified. Enjoyed the whole thing thoroughly. 4/5
The Cure
4/5
Nothing about this should be changed. I’m sure this is exactly how this album should have turned out. I wouldn’t have made the songs so long. I feel like they could have cut the boring parts, but by no means should they have, if that makes sense. Iconic vocals, instrumentation, and writing. Really great entry and maybe one day I’d give this a perfect score, but not today. Sorry, Rob. 4/5
Ray Charles
4/5
I don’t know that Ray is much of an album artist. I guess this is the one with the most bangers all on one album. There’s nothing wrong with this, but most of these covers are not the definitive version so it’s just a reminder of what it could have been. It is iconic and genre bending though and I enjoy it a lot. 4/5
The Black Keys
4/5
They do sound like every hipster blues-rock band, but they are the first to do it and arguably the best. If the genre ain’t your thing, that’s understandable, but I enjoy a lot of what’s going on here. It’s not always the most creative or innovative, but it’s solid and reliable and sometimes, that’s all I need. 4/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I enjoyed this album a great deal. I have respect for antiquities of all kinds. It felt original, but by no means alienating. Vocals are wholly unique and instantly recognizable. I love the style they have here. It’s really comforting if you’re in that mood. Not their best, but very very nice. 4/5
King Crimson
2/5
Not loving this. Too little lyrics and too much needless experimentation. They weren’t adding anything with this and on top of that none of these songs were fun. The tracks that came close were way too long. Just not happy at all about any of this or anything ever. Fuck me. 2/5
Blue Cheer
2/5
They trying their best to sound hip, but it’s just sloppy and unoriginal. Wasn’t interested throughout, but there were multiple times I got annoyed. 2/5
Ministry
2/5
On one hand, I appreciate the inclusion for the sake of the genre, but on the other, was this the best industrial metal album we could find? I liked the production and that it was mercifully not that long. However, I didn’t find this to be particularly entertaining or stimulating. I liked the production and that it was mercifully not that long. If someone does, good for them, but I won’t be going to their BBQs nor their rituals. 2/5
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
God I fucking love the drums. Even if everything else didn’t slap, I would still give this a four based on the drums alone. Didn’t wow me to the point of a five, but it wasn’t too far off. Good work Youssou! 4/5
Scott Walker
2/5
Just like “Scott 2” this was just boring and the same song over and over. Maybe a little better, but still not entertaining. 2/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
G. Love isn’t the most talented guy out there, but he’s got an energy some people really latch onto. If you’re into him, you’ll love it and listen all the time, if not, he’s gonna sound really annoying and repetitive. I get both sides. I enjoy his music, but understand an entire album may be a bit daunting for people just meeting him for the first time. I fucking love “Cold Beverage”, though. Classic. 3/5
Brian Eno
1/5
Wow! Two of my least favorite artists teaming up to make one of my least favorite albums of all time. Boy, this sure sucked! 1/5
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Not the worst one star I’ve given, but yeah, firmly one star. WTF? 1/5
Slayer
4/5
I feel like “Reborn” and “Epidemic” had beats and riffs that sounded exactly the same, but other than that, everything sounded great. New and original. Downright refreshing. You don’t hear this stuff on the Hot 100 too often. I like their style and believe they were able to stay true to who they are as a band which helps convey the authenticity of whatever they were saying. Cool joint, honestly. 4/5
4/5
This is really good. I enjoy this a lot. Every song has its own distinct feeling while still feeling like they all belong on the same album. It’s a very difficult feat to achieve. Only problem is a couple of these songs are dudskies. Not bad, just forgettable. Vocals are great, though. So are instrumentation and production. Lyrics are as good as U2 has ever had. Not many complaints at all here. 4/5
Gorillaz
4/5
This album shows promise of some pretty incredible and innovative stuff yet to come while also delivering some certified classics such as “5/4”, “Tomorrow Comes Today”, “19-2000”, not to mention “Clint Eastwood”. This album is fun and light while also being able to deal with heavier themes. With a runtime nearing an hour, it can start to feel a little bloated towards the end, but otherwise no complaints. Writing, production, and lyrics are all fantastic. I enjoy this album a lot. 4/5
Beatles
4/5
Not their best album or honestly even in their top five. Not sure why it’s on the list except the author has a hard on for anything British and the Beatles are nostalgic. This isn’t a bad album, just saying given all of the other inclusions on the list from this band, it’s unnecessary. Anyways, as always with the lads, this is nice, cheeky fun to spin when you’re in a movin’ groovin’ tune or whatever. Standouts are obviously the title track, “And I Love Her”, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, and, in my opinion, “Things We Said Today”. Great playing, writing, vocals, energy. All of it. Real stand out shit, Ringo. 4/5
T. Rex
4/5
I enjoy Mr. Bolan. He’s got such an undeniable swagger to him. A good mix of slow and energetic songs to keep the album interesting. Songs don’t overstay their welcome and yet there are thirteen of them. Vocals are obviously incredible, instrumentation matches, production is there, not great, but there. Arrangement is a bit weird, but overall this is a great album. I enjoy this immensely. 4/5
Björk
2/5
Well, since it’s necessary to say it again, I don’t enjoy Björk. She’s the most pretentious of all the pretentious artists. Not saying she’s trying to be. Just is. Unlistenable, yet incredibly innovative and original at every turn. Can’t stand it. 2/5
Skunk Anansie
4/5
This grew on me a surprising bit. I wasn’t sure about it in the beginning because it felt a little too much like all the other British albums this author throws on the list, but the more I listened, the more the vocals grew on me, the more the lyrics hit, the more the instrumentation started grooving. I was really into it by the last track. I went back and skimmed through it and I must say, pretty darn good. Only complaint would be that it feels a bit aimless. No sense of direction, but ultimately a very quality album. I enjoy it. 4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
One of the easiest albums I’ve ever tuned out. Couldn’t remember one melody if I tried. A general vibe will come to me if I think about it hard enough, but the lack of range here would have been very striking if I had been interested enough to pay attention. Energy was up and when I tuned back in for the last half of the final track, I was happy to find I enjoyed it. Fine work, gents, I guess. 3/5
The Police
4/5
A lot more experimental than I remembered it. Second half is really solid, but it’s the first that sets the stage. How ‘bout that for pretentious? Anyways, not a bad track. Not even “Mother”. I didn’t love it, but it was reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, so I’ll give it a pass for going truly balls to the fucking wall. I get the feeling that this is one of those albums that I’ll enjoy more with each re-listen. Enjoyed it immensely. 4/5
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Very original and cool. I love the way the production complements the instrumentation, especially the guitars in "Obsessed With You". The fact that it was made in 1978 is really impressive. Lyrical content was wonderful, vocals were everything they needed to be to sell what they were saying. As for all punk albums, a little more range would have been nice, but for early punk, they did really very well. Very punk rock. Enjoyed it a lot. 4/5
Nick Drake
4/5
I love Nick Drake. He’s so unique. He could be from any area. ANY. Truly a timeless artist. Great writing, lyrics, vocals, production, instrumentation, and arrangement. Love this from start to finish. As is the case with most of his albums, though, there is little range. “Hazey Jane II” is one of the few energetic songs, not just on this album, but in his whole discography. The intro, title track, and outro are all beautifully structured instrumentals, but instrumentals nonetheless. I appreciate them being spread out, but would have appreciated some words even more. Anyways, wonderful album. Truly majestic. 4/5
Maxwell
2/5
Not a phunking phan of this stuff. Not offensive for the most part, but boring and unoriginal. I found nothing special about this. 2/5
Herbie Hancock
5/5
I think this album absolutely fucks. Start to finish. “Chameleon” is a wonderful funky intro that sets the scene nicely. “Watermelon Man” is the most innovative piece on the project and my personal favorite. That song feels fresh, unique, and original a half century later. “Sly” is a fantastic shoutout to the styling of Mr. Stone and features one of the best solo Herbie has ever played. Finally, “Vein Melter” is a beautiful finale that brings the ‘earthy’ concept of the album to a fitting end. This album is perhaps a perfect jazz album. Four great, experimental songs that offer a variety of moods and range. From intense and driving, to experimental and groundbreaking, to chaotic and awesome, to mellow and soulful, this album has everything you could ask for. I appreciate all of it in its complex simplicity. I could listen a hundred times and find new things to appreciate every time. Wonderful shit. 5/5
Fela Kuti
5/5
First off, while I’m not quite sure what’s going on in this album cover, it slaps hard. This is the second four track jazz album from the seventies I’ve gotten in a row. Title track starts off strong before getting into its rhythm. However, right before it gets too repetitive, Fela comes in with his coarse voice and simple, yet evocative lyrics. He begins his criticism of the Nigerian military government with a song about how the soldiers are zombies who can’t and won’t think for themselves, reflecting on the danger of that situation. Ultimately the whole thing concludes with a wonderful finale of trumpets that feel both triumphant as well as distorted. “Mr. Follow Follow” is another twelve minute epic that builds to its first word from Fela. This time, speaking about the importance of leaders in relation to their followers. Some people that are followed are cockroaches, rats, ikan (termite?), and darkness. So, brother, if you end up being followed, you must keep your eyes, ears, and mouth to be able to use your senses. This is where the original ends, but it feels a hell of a lot more realized with the additional two songs on the reissue, so that’s the album I’m rating. “Observation Is No Crime” continues the trend of waiting until the middle of the song to start singing. Fela fakes confusion about why the government becomes irritated when the citizens observe what they are doing in detail. The instrumentation is invasively groovy. Every beat, note, intonation, and timing is perfect. Finishing again in an off kilter feeling harmony of trumpets. This takes us to the final song on the album, “Mistake (Live At the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1978)”. I really like the decision to include a live song on this album. It’s important to hear the voices of the masses. To feel how voluminous the oppressed are. Obviously, we’re in Germany, so the people Fela is singing for are thousands of miles away, but the effect is still appreciated. By me at least. The audience cheers when Fela takes his trumpet for a solo. There’s a feeling of togetherness that he achieves. It’s only when everyone feels unified that he starts singing that “everything is alright” before reminding the crowd to remember that “everything is all wrong”. He explains if you make a mistake, you can fix it and still stand tall afterwards. If not you will be ashamed to walk down the road and that’s when you get things like colonial and slavery thinking and army killing students. When he gets to the end of these verses and the chorus takes over we can hear the crowd roar up again as a reminder of the importance of standing together. This album finished with a cacophony of instruments all working to achieve a feeling that everything can be alright if people start to fix it, but the cacophony fades out rather than building to a finale. The song feels unfinished, the album feels unfinished, the work feels unfinished. There was still work to be done and the fight wasn’t over and it still isn’t. I really enjoy this album. It’s funky and you can groove, but it’s also really important and moving, especially given what Fela had just gone through personally with the government killing his mother. One of the best jazz albums of all time and perhaps the best Nigerian jazz album of all time. I love this thing so fucking much, man. 5/5
Radiohead
4/5
This album is little more pop than most of what they release. I never know what to write for these guys. Everyone always loves everything they do and I’m always left feeling a little bored by it all. This wasn’t insulting or offensive and all the songs were good, but it’s just good. Another quality album, nothing special. 4/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This one feels a little more dated than his other entries on this list. That is, this album sounds like it belongs in the eighties. It was obviously made in the eighties, but all of his other albums on this list have a timeless quality to them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Cyndi Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” could belong to no other decade, yet it is still an iconic album, just not timeless. However, the timeless quality isn’t the only thing lost. In my opinion, the lyrics, writing, and production all took a hit in some capacity on this project. His vocals are as golden as ever and the instrumentation is executed very well. I only disagree with some of the decisions that went into the planning rather than the actual execution. Not a bad album. I thoroughly enjoyed five or six out of the eight tracks, but I know he’s capable of better. 4/5
Coldcut
2/5
Absolute rubbish. I did like the Tarzan part, though. That was interesting. Otherwise, yeah, rubbish. 2/5
Gary Numan
3/5
I found this to be pretty boring, but I can completely understand why someone would love this. Some of the songs here are absolutely beautiful. The writing, structure, production, and instrumentation are all fantastic. The lyrics were nothing special, but inoffensive. I didn’t particularly enjoy his vocals, but they are unique. The album is undeniably iconic, but it fails to be timeless, in my opinion, because the experimentation isn’t fully realized. It feels like the start of something truly incredible, because it is, but I don’t feel the album itself is truly incredible. I do respect it, however, and there were parts I enjoyed. 3/5
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Wasn’t too excited about this. There were a couple bright spots, but ultimately not as memorable as I believe it could have been. 3/5
Cee Lo Green
3/5
I really enjoyed a lot of what Cee Lo does after this album, but this feels very messy and unfocused. This album feels like it’s been made by an artist who hasn’t found their niche yet. It isn’t atrocious, but I wouldn’t be interested in re-listening. Also, abismal album cover. First track is a ten out of ten, though. 3/5
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I didn’t enjoy listening to this album. 1/5
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
It had its moments, but, ultimately, I was left feeling unimpressed, uninterested, uninspired, and underwhelmed. It was fine. 3/5
4/5
A little pretentious, but lovely to listen to. It gets old a bit quick, but this is a good album. 4/5
Django Django
3/5
This was fine, fun, and inoffensive. Not inspiring, but the production was solid and the heart was there. Not much range. Great writing. Not very high highs and not very low lows. 3/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
Perhaps it’s because Brian Wilson died the day before I got this album, but I think I’m giving it a higher score than I usually might. There isn’t as much experimental stuff as there was on their following album, but it’s here in small doses if you look for it. Beautiful vocal harmonies, good production and instrumentation, arrangement was a little wonky, but I enjoyed it. a lot. 4/5
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Statler: “Boy, this thing sure had range”
Waldrof: “Yeah, it ranged from pretentious to annoying!”
Both: EHEHHAHEHAEHAAAEEHHEHA
This joke was funnier in my head. 2/5
Skepta
2/5
This feels dated and goofy in a way that isn’t intended. I didn’t mind it, but I also have no interest in listening again. 2/5
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
This album is one hundred percent authentic to who she is. She did what she wanted to do. It’s completely unique even if the production isn’t the most original. Not every song slaps, but every song is definitely good and the album definitely deserves a listen. I enjoyed. 4/5
The Pretty Things
1/5
Gorsh, this sucked. Completely lacking in any ambition or urgency. There wasn’t a single interesting bit. 1/5
The Clash
5/5
Iconic. One of the greatest albums ever made. Possibly the best double album of all time. Not a single miss. Unique and original, great production, writing, lyrics, instrumentation, vocals, energy. It’s all there. It’s all perfect. Flawless. If you don’t love The Clash, I don’t know how to help you. I love it. 5/5
Coldplay
3/5
This was all filler and one killer. Not a great ratio, but a lot of it (most) was pretty forgettable. It was fine, but if “Yellow” wasn’t on this album, it wouldn’t be on the list and it’s not even that good a song. I did enjoy it, though. 3/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Not his best work and I don't like live albums, but Fela Kuti has an undeniable energy in this, so it's not the worst live album I've ever heard. I enjoyed almost all of it. 3/5
Roxy Music
3/5
Not a huge phan of the vocals, but the writing is pretty good as well as the production. Instrumentation was solid. The songs all felt a little sloppy in the sense that they wanted to achieve something bigger than they were capable of doing at the moment. The last two songs were a bit of a chore to get through, but still a good album and I enjoyed most of it. 3/5
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
The fact that Dave was able to create an entire album out of unpopular time signatures and still have them all sound seamless and intentional as well as cohesive deserves four stars on its own. Add that it’s fun and enjoyable to listen to and you have yourselves one of jazz’s greatest albums. Fantastic work, Mr. Brubeck. 5/5
Sebadoh
3/5
This caught my attention a couple times throughout the album. Calling out for me to listen when I was starting to tune out. It has range and isn’t at all boring. I didn’t enjoy all of it, but it was cohesive, the production was fine, writing was fine, instrumentation was what was needed, vocals too, and the lyrics accomplished all that was required. Was pretty good. 3/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Wasn’t very impressed. Very meh. Last song annoyed me a little, but overall, very inoffensive. Mostly just forgettable. This is a very high two, but it’s closer to a. 3/5
Small Faces
2/5
Really didn’t appreciate this. Not cool. 2/5
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
I don’t speak that French stuff, but he seemed to speak it very well. I really like how all the instruments complement each other as well as his voice. Writing is fantastic, production is crystal clear, lyrics are probably cool. I don’t know. I really enjoy this album. Good stuff. 4/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
An hour and eleven minutes and it was all white noise to me. I didn’t hate it, nor was it bad, but just so easy to tune out. Just so forgettable. 3/5
Faith No More
4/5
This is fun and it feels original. Not at all predictable, but almost always for the better. The “War Pigs” cover felt unnecessary as they didn’t really do anything interesting with it and it made the album just a tad longer than it should have been. Otherwise, great stuff, I enjoy it a lot. 4/5
Peter Frampton
3/5
Not horrid, but still, a live album and his Stones cover was offensive. It’s fun at parts, but feels ultimately unnecessary. 3/5
Beck
4/5
I really enjoy this album. Lotta of underrated classics on here, depressing as hell, but still fire. Love it. 4/5
Slipknot
3/5
I just don’t think I’m angry enough for this one, by I ain’t knocking it. It’s good, but not for me. 3/5
Bauhaus
3/5
Not just any monkey could make this music, unless . . . the monkey was a pretentious Englishman. 3/5
Justin Timberlake
2/5
I don’t even know where to begin with this. First off, this thing is way too long for an album this bad, so, strike one right there. Strike two is the shitty lyrics that read as if they were written by a virgin acting like they’re a sex aficionado. His vocals become annoying very quickly. The backing track is flat and monotonous throughout the whole album. There are thoughts I’m leaving out, but that’s the gist of it, though. Fuck this shit. 2/5
FKA twigs
3/5
I love how experimental she is. I wish I could enjoy listening to her music more than I do. This is undeniably a good album, but I also undeniably could not pick any of the songs apart from each other. Her vocals are not quite there for me. The production is great, the lyrics are pretty good, and the writing is solid. People rave about her, but I just can’t figure out why. 3/5
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
I love an album that's decades old, yet, still has lyrics that are as relevant today as they were when they were written. Spooky shit. Good production, good writing, incredible lyrics and flow. Love this. 4/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
I would have considered giving this a five star rating if there was less sixteen-year-old-girl lust going on. Iggy’s a great singer and the songs are all written well. The lyrics are about as good as good as we can get from the guy, but not too shabby (again, excluding that 16 year old thing). All in all, a very enjoyable album. 4/5
Lorde
4/5
Melodrama! Certainly is. This album is one of few that I encounter and feel something original. Lorde is a completely unique artist that does a very nice job of straddling the line of experimental and enjoyable. This album is fantastic start to finish and has some of her best songs. The vocals, production, lyrics, and writing are all great. Love this one. 4/5
Mariah Carey
4/5
There are some undeniable classics on here for Mariah. I don’t think this is her best work and I hope they didn’t choose this over an album like “Daydream”, but I can’t imagine there’s two Mariah Carey albums on this list, so that’s disappointing. Anyway, the vocals were obviously incredible, unique, and instantly recognizable. The production was everything it needed to be, but seldom more. Instrumentation followed suit. The writing was good, but got repetitive halfway through. Pleasantly, the lyrics were consistently good and kept me interested and I was thrilled to see all but the Prince cover were penned by Mimi herself. She has better albums, but this isn’t a bad pick and I enjoyed listening. 4/5
Eminem
4/5
This is truly a one of a kind album. Eminem is unforgivingly himself throughout the whole project and it leads to a very interesting look into the artists psyche. I take issue with the amount of “gay” talk. Not all of it is necessarily homophobic, but a lot if not all of it is. Also didn’t add anything in my opinion. I don’t really think Eminem is homophobic, but it does take me out of the album, which is unfortunate because the rest of it is really good. I hate skits as always. Good work, Marshall. 4/5
Leftfield
2/5
Look, usually I don’t like long electronic albums that sound repetitive. There is no but. 2/5
Lightning Bolt
2/5
“Crown of Storms” was listenable because I enjoyed the arpeggio, but it lasts too long. Everything else was complete shite. 2/5
3/5
Well hello Loretta! This is an interesting inclusion considering her “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was omitted (as of this writing). This is an album of its time. It has the usual songs about cheating and feeling lonesome and love gone wrong. Nothing much that jumps out at you, but as far as women in country, Loretta is an icon, especially when this was released. These songs don’t seem like anything much today, but back in the ‘60s country scene, this was downright innovative. Much respect to Loretta. A nice album, but at the end of the day, really not incredible. 3/5
Madonna
4/5
I don’t mind a little Madonna now and then. This is a good album and I enjoyed it. Some songs weren’t as exciting as the hits, but it wasn’t too hard to stay engaged. Lyrics, production, instrumentation, and structure are all fine. The writing and arrangements are where this really shines. Makes it special. 4/5
John Coltrane
4/5
I continually forget how good this album is. Every time I re-listen, it blows me away. I remembered the part where he repeated the title of the album over and over. Love that part. I was pleasantly reminded of how amazing the drums are. Looking forward to my next listen. 4/5
Donovan
4/5
Half of these are great and even iconic, the other half are a snooze fest that I struggle to get through. Not entirely true, but if the bangers weren’t spaced out like they are, I would have an incredibly difficult time with this. Anyways, I do enjoy it. 4/5
The Kinks
4/5
The Kinks are always good. I love their sound so much. This isn’t my pick for their best album, but it’s definitely top five for me. The second half of the sixties treated them very well, creatively speaking. The finale is possibly their best song, but every single track has its own character and they can all easily stand on their own. The reason that they never gained as much popularity as the Stones or Beatles or other contemporary bands is frustrating to me, but not surprising. Their style is a little niche, but I adore it. 4/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
A lot of these songs are iconic and essential listening for anyone who calls themselves a hip hop fan. The others range from deep cuts that are underrated and should have gained more popularity and respect to absolutely the most disgusting shit you’ve ever heard. Biggie, shut the fuck up about all the sex shit. It’s gross. Why was there a thirty second ASMR of dick sucking at the end of a banger like “Respect”. I enjoyed all of the ones that weren’t blatantly misogynistic. Obviously also excluding the interludes, they were wild. Still, really solid record. Love it. 4/5
The Monks
3/5
Well I can definitely tell they had fun with it. Not really sure what perspective they were going for with this. They seemed angry with something or someone, but also completely content with life. It was just all in all a tad off kilter. I enjoyed most of it, but mostly for the camp aspect. It was entertaining, not quality. 3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I enjoy how the songs all sound like they’re on the same album, yet different enough to not get old too quick. They couldn’t have gone very much further without it getting repetitive, but a little over a half an hour is a good amount of time for an album. Lyrics are good. Vocals are unique. Instrumentation and production feel original and nicely implemented. Solid shit. 4/5
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Sick album cover. The horns right off the bat on the first track really do feel explosive. After forty minutes, you’re left with a wonderful collection of songs ranging in mood, albeit, not the most groundbreaking stuff here, still I can’t complain. 4/5
Talk Talk
4/5
I get it. I see it. I enjoyed parts, but the whole thing isn’t really my style. Much respect, though. 4/5
The Replacements
4/5
I love The Replacements. This album is so fucking good. The range is incredible, the production excellently complements the vocals and instrumentation. Lyrics can be a little sparse, but ultimately accomplish everything they want to. I enjoyed this very much. 4/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
“Yearnin’ Learnin’” is clunky, but the rest are gold. Perfect groove. Love it. Enjoyed it. Will listen again. 4/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
“You Make Me Feel So Young” is a classic. “It Happened In Monterey” is real nice and underrated. “You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me” is a tad gimmicky. “You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me” is cute, but forgettable. “Too Marvelous for Words” is just bad. I just don’t prefer these versions of “Old Devil Moon”, “Pennies from Heaven” (no macaroni?), and “Love Is Here to Stay”. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” is another solid classic. “I Thought About You” has a defined vibe, but ultimately drags. I enjoyed “We’ll Be Together Again”. “Makin’ Whoopee” is the worst track on this album. “Swingin’ Down the Lane” is a nice deep cut, but there’s a reason it isn’t more well known. “Anything Goes” goes to show that he can really butcher a classic. “How About You?” is a lovely closer to this album. Wraps it all up nicely. This is Frank Sinatra at, perhaps, his most comfortable. That’s fine, but never great. 3/5
R.E.M.
4/5
I may have listened to this before and, besides the hits, I remember it leaving little to impact on me. Upon this re listen, I feel like I’ve listened to a much more finished and complete album by a more mature band. Of course, nothing has changed about the album. Just me. Makes me appreciate the importance of re listening. Didn’t work for me a while ago and I still don’t see this being anywhere near my favorites, but I have an appreciation for it now, that I always lacked for R.E.M. These songs are well written with unique vocals, and instrumentation that feels original. The production does more than just get the job done, though it isn’t mind blowing. I like this a lot. 4/5
JAY Z
4/5
This was a fun enough listen. I didn’t appreciate the misogynistic or homophobic lyrics, though. They were unnecessary and took me out of the song. The lyrics, otherwise, are very well thought out. Not perfect, but I can tell a lot of care went in to making them. Production is pretty solid, but there’s a little room for improvement. I do enjoy how he uses samples, his flow, cadence, and beats. 4/5
Jane's Addiction
4/5
By virtue of how he sings, Perry Farrell creates an album that very quickly feels repetitive if you aren’t already familiar with the songs. I don’t have a problem with any of these songs on their own, but for a first time listener, it’s a bit tedious. I appreciate the energy that persists throughout the album, but putting three songs in a row that are over seven minutes long is just bad structuring. Space that shit out. 4/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Can get a little repetitive, but there’s enough experimentation in here to keep it interesting. I wouldn’t say any of these songs were fantastic, but non were unlistenable either. Whole album felt very in the middle, but not entirely forgettable, so that’s good. I enjoyed it. 3/5
N.E.R.D
4/5
They said this was hip-hop. Everywhere I looked said this was hip-hop. What the fuck are they talking about. There were elements of rock, jazz, R&B, and lots of other genres, but I don’t think a single part made me think hip-hop. Given the mixture of all those genres, though, it made for a very unique sounding album and I enjoyed it happily. It was just a delight. Kind of long, but really very fulfilling. 4/5
5/5
I really really like this album. I can’t think of any complaints. I feel like maybe I should have some, but nothing comes to mind. Therefore, a perfect score is in order, but it’s a low five just in case I’m overlooking something big. This is the first time I’ve listened to it the whole way through and I’m absolutely flabbergasted by how great I find it. Really great work. These songs were on the radio all the time when I was a kid, so it hit the nostalgia nerve. My least favorite song was “Assassin” and that was still a pretty good song. Fantastic opener. Epic closer. Beautiful songwriting. Excellent structure. Vocals are unique and perfect for their sound. Instrumentation and production are flawless. There’s a lot going on, yet it still feels cohesive. Amazing stuff. I enjoyed it thoroughly. 5/5
Fats Domino
4/5
A little chaotic in terms of cohesion, but all fun songs. Fats is always a good time and I wish this album was longer. 4/5
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
This was a very enjoyable album, but much too long for no reason. It felt like they were padding for time with some of these tracks. "Night in the City", "The Whale", and "Birmingham Blues" were all unnecessary and could have been cut to make for a more concise and cohesive project. Otherwise, all of the songs were fantastic. The songwriting is good. The vocals, mixed with the production and instrumentation are iconic. Overall, liked it a lot. 4/5
Lucinda Williams
4/5
This girl can rock. I appreciate that. Songwriting is beautiful. All the songs have this handcrafted, no machines involved kind of feel. Also “borbed whar”! Some of her best songs and overall, probably her best record. It’s got range and everything. It’s just gorgeous start to finish and I enjoy it a lot. 4/5
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Look, this is good and fun and all, but doubt in my mind you didn’t get made fun of a little if you listened to this when it came out. “U make me sweat. U make me work. U make my body wanna go and do the jerk”. Just top notch shit here guys. The lyrics range from being a little corny to borderline racist, ironically. “I wanted to take her home with me. Behind the bush and up my tree”. “And if you got bananas, I'll be glad to bet ya”. What are we talking about? The production is too bass heavy. The whole thing is entirely too long. To the point where I need to actively attempt to not tune it out. 2/5
John Martyn
4/5
I enjoy this a lot. Soft rock with great guitar picking. It’s not the most unique or original sounding album, but I’d spin this on occasion. Mellifluous shit. 4/5
ABBA
4/5
Dark ABBA. I wish we had gotten more albums from their darker side. This is good stuff and they had a lot of room to explore their less happy emotions on this album, but with more time in their sadness, I wonder what they could have made. This album proves they are able to do depressing songs just as well, if not better, as their upbeat hits. The lyrics on here are stellar start to finish, from the political first side to the divorce inspired second side. Songwriting and production are also what we’ve come to expect from the band. Vocals are beautiful. Instrumentation is perfect. Not my favorite of their discography, but up there and clearly essential listening for any phan. Bravo. 4/5
Björk
3/5
Another Björk album. Why so many? She really isn’t that good. So original. So unique. Might be a hot take, but I don’t think anything she’s doing is that innovative. Quite annoying. Quite boring. Quite uninterested if I’m being honest. Not the worst thing I’ve heard, just cannot comprehend the hype. 3/5
Big Star
4/5
this album is a lot better if you know the context behind its making. There’s an oddball number of covers. None of the songs by themselves are bad. It just all feels chaotic. I guess that’s what you would get in this situation. The songwriting is still solid, although, it’s not as memorable, but I enjoyed the whole album. 4/5
Weather Report
3/5
This is fun, but there’s obviously a reason it didn’t become popular. I think this is way too tight. This prog, jazz/funk, fusion, whatever this genre may be is too locked down. Where’s the improvisation?! The instrumentation is obviously deadly. Except for the brief live bit on that one song, there were no vocals to help this album stay in my memory and I guarantee I won’t be able to recall any specifics the moment I turn it off. The general vibe will stick with me for at least an hour, maybe more, but that’s all. This should’ve stayed in the back of the bin and not made its way to this list. I will say that it accomplished what it wanted to and it was not annoying as fuck, so that’s a plus. 3/5
Tina Turner
4/5
What’s the production/mixing? Is it just me? Does it suck? I feel like it sucks. It falls flat, especially when going alongside Tina’s iconic voice. Maybe the instrumentation or choice of instrument isn’t right. Not sure, but something isn’t quite feeling right. It gets better on the second half for some reason, which is where this album really shines. “Better Be Good To Me”, “Steel Claw”, and obviously “Private Dancer” are all incredible. “1984” ain’t her best work, though. Lyrically this album delivers. I’d easily give it a perfect score if that first side hadn’t been so funky. I love it, though. Loved the album, Tina. 4/5
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Blegh! Gross, I hate seventies European electronic. Shed your ancestral guilt some other way. 2/5
Robbie Williams
2/5
This isn’t great. Certainly not pushing the envelope in any way. It’s a fun listen, but just feels like eating candy rather than chowing down on something substantial. Doesn’t really give a good feeling. Thanks for wasting my time. Anyways, didn’t hate it, but I won’t be listening again. 2/5
The Boo Radleys
2/5
This album was nowhere near good enough to justify the length. They just kept making songs, not a phan of that decision. 2/5
CHIC
4/5
A bit slow, but very enjoyable. They should explored some more song ideas instead of trying to expand the few they had to such lengths. It really does almost work, though. I like that it has a ton of range, yet one cohesive vibe throughout. Quality shit. 4/5
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Holy shit, I hate it! Fuck this. Fuck it all up and down! :) 1/5
Jane's Addiction
4/5
This album is comprised of a number of good songs, a few duds, and a couple of bangers. It also feels a little all over the place, which might be the vibe they were going for. I don’t know if I said this before, but Perry Farrell’s vocals kind of get on my nerves after a whole album of him. Instrumentation is fine, songwriting is memorably creative, lyrics are recognizably this band. I don’t hate this album or any of the songs, I actually quite enjoyed it, but, I don’t feel quite as strongly as Jane. 4/5
The Dictators
1/5
Insulting and annoying. These talentless and overconfident bozos ruin 35 minutes of your time. These talentless arrangements and structure are terrible. The vocals fail to make a significant impression, much like the instrumentation. The lyrics, on the other hand, make quite the impression, though, not a good one. I’m not at all surprised that an album like this exists. I don’t necessarily blame these guys for making a bad album. I do, however, blame the list maker for this inclusion. List maker is a lunatic for this one. 1/5
Garbage
4/5
This is great. Very original. Production stands out to me the most. Vocals are unique as well as their style of playing. All songs were enjoyable and interesting to listen to. Good amount of range. Solid Garbage album. 4/5
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
It’s as if half of these song are completely original, unique, irreplaceable, and unlike anything that came before and the other half is a collection of songs that all sound the exact same. Aside from the latter group, this is an incredible album. I think if they had kept pushing themselves for a few more creative ideas, they could have had something truly unforgettable. As it stands, it’s simply a near classic, but still very enjoyable and I like it a lot. “Mr. Soul” was the one hundred percent the inspiration for the Rolling Stone's “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. Came out a year before. I feel very positive about that guess. “Expecting to Fly” is such a hauntingly beautiful song. The way he simply calls out “Babe” just gets to me for some reason. I love the experimentation in “Hang Upside Down”. Really pushes the album forward. Immediately following is a softer song, “Sad Memory”, that provides some range. “Good Time Boy” is the worst song on the record and “Rock & Roll Woman” is perhaps the best. The closer “Broken Arrow” is a bit of a mess, but I can enjoy it. All other songs were pretty mid, but I liked all of it. 4/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I listened to this once without knowing the context behind the album and then, once after learning what the context was, and then again now. I can say I definitely appreciate the album more with each re listen. It’s absolutely in the Boss’s top ten. The lyrics, while obviously discussing 9/11, can also be attributed to his personal life, as well as the feelings and situations of most people, before and after the attacks. It’s a phantastic concept album and incredibly versatile. Love it. 4/5
Aerosmith
4/5
Not my favorite Aerosmith album, but far from their worst. This one feels like a bit of a lull in their discography. Past and future projects are more exciting. Besides its lackluster quality, no complaints. 4/5
John Prine
5/5
I love this album. It’s easily one of the best country albums ever written. Every song stands out. His singing is instantly recognizable. The lyrics and writing are iconic. There’s so much range and so much to find on each re-listen. I love this album a lot. 5/5
Tom Tom Club
2/5
Hey, this sux. Sorry. Sounds like it was written by and for a five year old. The album cover and band name don’t do much to dissuade that take. 2/5
Soft Cell
2/5
They’re a one hit wonder, they’re British, and they’re otherwise forgettable. These are the attributes needed to be added to this fucking list. Bonus points if they’re pretentiously underground. This album is necessarily bad, but besides that mega hit, it’s not worth listening to. I do think “Sex Dwarf” is unironically the most interesting song on the album. I can’t imagine wanting to listen again. 2/5
David Bowie
4/5
This isn't Bowie's pièce de résistance or anything, but it still has two powerhouse songs bookending the album. The middle is made up of six songs that provide the filler between his massive hits, but also add some incredible deep tracks to his discography. "Win" comes in after the energetic title track and immediately mellows out the vibe with its laid back instrumental work. The vocals, both David's and the background singers, are entrancing (what a pretentious thing to say!). "Fascination" and "Right" give some funky range. "Somebody Up There Likes Me" is honestly a little bluesy without being too 'white man tries to do the blues'. He definitely stays in his lane, which is something that can't be said for the next track. His cover of "Across the Universe" was wholly unnecessary. Throws off the entire project for me. The second to last song, "Can You Hear Me", is much like the second. It's right next to a big hit with massive energy. It's mellow and laid back. It takes us out of the dream that is the middle of the record. The whole album is arranged beautifully. I love this thing. 4/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
These are good quality songs, but they’re not for me. I’ll listen to the final song, but semi-ironically. Nothing against him, he’s just a little goofy and hasn’t done enough to distinguish himself from Phil Collins. 4/5
Beatles
4/5
A lot of debut albums will have a debut stench on them. Maybe they make good music, but they don't know how to construct it into an album. A lot of it has to do with little decisions that don't seem significant at first, but can turn a good album into a classic. Even though this is not The Beatles debut album, that's the case here. This is their first take at being experimental. They had gotten very comfortable in their boy band pop albums. Churning out very decent, but ultimately unsubstantial songs and slapping them on to the album with no other thoughts. The arrangement of songs on this album don't really make any sense. Why not close with "In My Life"? Why open with "Drive My Car"? Why include a song like, "Run for Your Life"? Why not expand on the more interesting and experimental aspects of some of these songs? I love "Rubber Soul" and I believe it to be incredibly important to their story, but even though it's very exciting to see the boys doing something new, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's great. It's good, very good, but not great. I do know the words to every song on this album. Don't get it twisted, I love these British twats. 4/5
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
I recognized the name, but not the atrocious album cover. So much better than I had expected, but not reinventing the genre in any way. Although, it's worth sitting through the whole project just to get to the outro. Literally one of the best songs I've ever heard. I love it when they spend a fifth of an hour just saying names. That’s just stellar. And he was able to increase the run time by twenty percent. So besides the outro, I’d say Lupe has a lot of charisma and talent and a knack for finding a unique way to do song styles that have gone stale. Otherwise, not too much of note. The album lost range long before the outro started. I enjoyed it. 4/5